as in disabusing
to free from mistaken beliefs or foolish hopes
we were disillusioned when we saw how the movie star acted in real life
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Recent Examples of disillusioning
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.
—
Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
Italy’s established political parties failed to respond effectively to the crisis, disillusioning voters.
—Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2022
Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
Italy’s established political parties failed to respond effectively to the crisis, disillusioning voters.
—Erik Jones, Foreign Affairs, 21 Sep. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disillusioning
Verb
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This is also why disabusing new believers of such opinions can feel like plucking shell fragments from a cooking omelet.—
Emil Steiner,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The pastor approaches the line without fully disenchanting; a magician drawing attention to the trick without disowning its power.—
Sam Kestenbaum,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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All of us here have the appetite to keep telling it.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
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Why is the actor and musician telling us what to cook?—
Olivia Wakim,
AJC.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Public health officials are also advising people planning on cooling down in the ocean to be aware of elevated bacteria levels at certain beaches.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued warnings advising beachgoers to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in the ocean waters stretching from Malibu, California, to Santa Monica, California, due to high bacteria levels.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disillusioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disillusioning. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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