1
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
fallen leaves slowly disintegrate over the course of the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles
modern air pollution is gradually disintegrating the ancient temple's irreplaceable friezes
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
a tornado disintegrated the building in a matter of seconds
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 disintegrate
After the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, many vine growers and winemakers moved to cities such as the capital of Baku to seek livelihoods.
—
Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Guinness noted that the actor had to jump out of a helicopter from a minimum height of 7,500 feet — sometimes while wearing a 50-pound camera rig — and that the parachute could only burn for about three seconds before completely disintegrating, forcing Cruise to deploy a backup chute.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Instead the vehicle spun out of control and disintegrated during atmospheric reentry.
—Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 May 2025
Still, Mujica lamented the ebbing of a revolutionary consciousness in Cuba, where the socialist society that Castro had tried to build was disintegrating.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegrate
Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Guinness noted that the actor had to jump out of a helicopter from a minimum height of 7,500 feet — sometimes while wearing a 50-pound camera rig — and that the parachute could only burn for about three seconds before completely disintegrating, forcing Cruise to deploy a backup chute.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Instead the vehicle spun out of control and disintegrated during atmospheric reentry.
—Gayoung Lee, Scientific American, 28 May 2025
Still, Mujica lamented the ebbing of a revolutionary consciousness in Cuba, where the socialist society that Castro had tried to build was disintegrating.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disintegrate
Verb
-
Read Next National Son arrested two decades after dad found decomposing in NH home, officials say June 18, 2025 12:40 PM Read Next National 75-year-old found dead during welfare check, Delaware troopers say.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2025
-
Then there was the time in 1986 when vandals broke into a crypt and stole the decomposing head of a woman, which was found under a car outside the grounds.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
It’s made from grinding green tea leaves—which can be varying grades of quality—into a fine powder, which is then whisked with hot water to create a thick, frothy liquid.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
-
Toss in an uncaring government agent with an axe to grind.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Globally, heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather are disrupting supply chains, inflating food prices, and undermining financial stability.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
-
These attacks don’t just disrupt operations but also expose deeply personal financial information that can fuel identity theft, fraud and long-term reputational damage.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Add garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
24 June 2025
-
The series-opener started on a strong note for the Bombers, as Aaron Judge crushed his 28th home run off Nick Lodolo in the first inning.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
He was later fired for misconduct stemming from the case and broke his silence in a series of interviews after Read's verdict was announced, after he was not invited to take the stand in her second trial.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
-
The idea was that a group of military commandos would break quarantine and try to get to the place where the virus had originated, in order to find a cure.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 June 2025
Verb
-
The oversized chair duo is made from environmentally friendly materials that are weather-resistant and won’t crack, fade, peel, or rot.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2025
-
The world may have left England to rot (a subplot involving a foreign soldier implies that other nations have taken an active interest in helping that process along), but any society that allows an entire country to become an open-air graveyard is sick with a terrible virus of its own.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
The left-hander got pounded a year ago and thumped again in his first taste of big-league action for eight runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
26 June 2025
-
Kamala Harris pounded Joe Biden over his stances on busing from the 1970s—a long-ago dispute that even became fodder for J.D. Vance in 2024.—
Andrew Yang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disintegrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disintegrate. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share