disintegrates

verb

present tense third-person singular of disintegrate
1
as in decomposes
to go through decomposition fallen leaves slowly disintegrate over the course of the winter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grinds
to reduce to fine particles modern air pollution is gradually disintegrating the ancient temple's irreplaceable friezes

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in disrupts
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly a tornado disintegrated the building in a matter of seconds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disintegrates With each impact, Sarah’s face disintegrates into a bloodier pulp, her bone structure buckling under every successive thud until Nikki has finally and irrevocably rendered the character a faceless corpse. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026 Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears. — The Conversation, Fortune, 12 June 2026 None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026 The skin stretches out and disintegrates, posing a risk of limb amputation. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 17 May 2026 The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 May 2026 But shortly thereafter, its nucleus fragments and quickly disintegrates. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2026 If the American state disintegrates, future postmortems are unlikely to focus much on measles, or on rotavirus vaccination rates. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026 The debris — space rocks known as meteoroids — collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA. — Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disintegrates
  1. decomposes
  2. grinds
  3. disrupts
  4. decays
  5. pounds
  6. breaks
  7. rots
  8. crushes
Verb
  • Remnants of a wooden spear weren’t found near the Neanderthal’s remains, which is understandable since the material often decomposes so quickly.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Named for the Frenchman Joseph Fourier, the Fourier transform decomposes any function into a set of simple waves, each with a different frequency, or tone.
    — Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of decomposes
Verb
  • For anyone who grinds fresh every morning and chases single-origin lots, online talk about mold and mycotoxins in coffee tends to raise a practical question about how the stuff gets onto beans in the first place.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the country’s most important academic event, grinds the nation to almost a halt to ensure the smooth administration of the exam.
    — Lim Hui Jie,Miko Jang, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of grinds
Verb
  • In addition, under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, anyone who disrupts a nest of migratory birds — which barn owls are — can face fines and jail time.
    — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Pretrial jailing disrupts families, destabilizes communities and increases the likelihood of recidivism, all of which clearly compromise — rather than protect — public safety.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of disrupts
Verb
  • By writing an out-of-the-money call and an out-of-the-money put for late October, traders can harvest the elevated premium as time value rapidly decays.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This radioisotope decays into technetium-99m, an essential diagnostic imaging agent used to detect cancer and cardiovascular disease.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of decays
Verb
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounds
Verb
  • Boise proper is reliably blue, and the rest of the county typically breaks red.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Her victory ends Patrick's 12-year tenure in the position and breaks the Republican Party's decades-long control of one of the most powerful offices in Texas government.
    — Digital Producer, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of breaks
Verb
  • The former may be a cesspool that rots our brains and amplifies ethnic hatred, but its dangers don’t compare to the dangers of RSI.
    — Sigal Samuel, Vox, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In my experience, environment, culture, clarity, psychological safety and pace determine whether talent produces or rots.
    — Nilton Bernini, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of rots
Verb
  • That pulse crushes the fuel, driving its atoms to unite and release their own huge amount of energy, whose nature and effects scientists can study.
    — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Jason fires a 3-D harpoon into the eye of Vera Sanchez (Catherine Parks), and later crushes the skull of Rick Bombay (Paul Kratka), causing his eyes to pop out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of crushes

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disintegrated
disintegrates
disintegrating
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Cite this Entry

“Disintegrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disintegrates. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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