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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Jenni also testified Tuesday, telling the court that her father and brother would sometimes fight, physically and verbally.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
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Cordial countenance is quiet leadership, the atmosphere shift that makes truth telling possible.—
Adam Dietz,
Big Think,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Years later, after spending time investing in and advising service companies, he felt drawn back to operating a business built around people and community presence.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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Airports across the Northeast shared updates on social media about air travel disruptions because of the storm, advising travelers to check with their airlines about the status of their flights.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disillusioning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disillusioning. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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