as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
the boys' bedroom was in its usual disarray
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
he had accidentally disarrayed his brother's CDs, leaving a telltale sign of borrowing without permission
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disarray
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 July 2025
Kim’s horror novel follows Ji-won whose life is in disarray.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Jacob Passy, WSJ, 12 July 2022
The hands-off approach in Washington is adding to disarray around the death penalty nationwide as pressure increases in some conservative states to find ways to continue executions amid shortages of the lethal-injection drugs.
—Michael Tarm, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for disarray
Noun
Large animal die-offs could also throw whole ecosystems in disarray, as deaths unfold within a network in which every species fills particular niches.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 July 2025
Kim’s horror novel follows Ji-won whose life is in disarray.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Verb
For much of this summer, staff shortages and a surge of travelers have led to long lines at security and passport control, disarray at baggage claim and crowded terminals in Europe.
—Jacob Passy, WSJ, 12 July 2022
The hands-off approach in Washington is adding to disarray around the death penalty nationwide as pressure increases in some conservative states to find ways to continue executions amid shortages of the lethal-injection drugs.
—Michael Tarm, Anchorage Daily News, 18 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for disarray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disarray
Noun
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Amad’s hat-trick against Southampton in mid-January gave evidence of his attacking form when playing at wing-back; making late runs into the opposition area and causing havoc.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
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Whether battling at the plate, creating havoc on the basepaths or chasing down a fly ball in the outfield, Simpson has created many thrilling moments for Rays fans.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Verb
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The industry’s year of strikes in 2023 also disrupted the flow of Hollywood movie releases to the local multiplex.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
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Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The Twins approached the deadline in fourth place, six games under .500, 12 games out in the division, a fragile mess.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Scientists have spent decades puzzling over potatoes’ origin story, in large part because the plants’ genetics are a bit of a mess, Ek Han Tan, a plant geneticist at the University of Maine who wasn’t involved in the study, told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Fuller has pushed back on these claims by sharing the app's source code for shuffling and dealing virtual cards.—
Andrew Montequin,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
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The Dolphins’ shuffling along the offensive line can be viewed through two different prisms.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Hollywood is littered with cautionary tales of child actors whose natural development is stunted, leaving them unable to ride the physical and emotional chaos that follows.—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
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Strictly Come Dancing has been plunged into fresh chaos with the BBC launching an investigation into allegations of drug use on the show.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The rest of the members’ faces were left blank and confused at the mention of barking.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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The president issued new guidelines for tariffs, extended some tariffs for a few months, and is confusing everyone, including consumers.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The indictment against Bolsonaro, as florid as a telenovela script, included disturbing allegations, such as a plot to poison Lula and kill Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.—
Shannon Sims,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
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When disturbed, the fungus releases spores that can cause severe respiratory infections, particularly in people with weakened immune systems.—
Justin Stebbing,
JSTOR Daily,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disarray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disarray. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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