1
as in to decompose
to go through decomposition
fallen leaves slowly disintegrate over the course of the winter
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2
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles
modern air pollution is gradually disintegrating the ancient temple's irreplaceable friezes
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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
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Recent Examples of disintegrate
By the time it was all set up, the whole cold, disintegrating place was threaded with lights and lines, flickering everywhere, black and red, the sheer quantity somehow terrifying and embracing at once.
—
Blair Braverman, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
While the missile could, in theory, bypass missile defenses, each test risks radioactive fallout if the reactor disintegrates during flight or on impact.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
This difference sounds small, but preventing a few tenths of a degree of warming could keep polar ice caps from completely disintegrating, coral reefs from collapsing and other tipping points from triggering.
—Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegrate
Blair Braverman, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
While the missile could, in theory, bypass missile defenses, each test risks radioactive fallout if the reactor disintegrates during flight or on impact.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
This difference sounds small, but preventing a few tenths of a degree of warming could keep polar ice caps from completely disintegrating, coral reefs from collapsing and other tipping points from triggering.
—Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disintegrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disintegrate
Verb
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In contrast to polluting polyester, these fibers are biodegradable and will naturally decompose after disposal.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
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Leaves need oxygen to properly decompose, and leaves buried in landfills do not have access to any oxygen, according to the National Wildlife Federation.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Keeping ‘the wolf away from the door’ Colorado River cuts could hit the tiny town of Cave Creek harder than any other municipality, town officials say, potentially grinding growth to a halt and pulling the town government into lawsuits over unfulfilled water contracts.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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And when daily wear and tear was simulated – through continuous electric-toothbrush abrasion equivalent to about a year of brushing, as well as chewing and grinding – the teeth actually had superior resistance to wear, fracture and acid attack compared with natural enamel.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the science shows exercising late at night, just before bed can disrupt sleep.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and Navy both operate advanced jamming aircraft, such as the J-16D, equipped with pods that can disrupt radar, GPS, and datalinks across wide areas.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The decaying Avenger is one of a dozen wrecks in three very different underwater environments — the western Pacific Ocean off Saipan, Lake Huron, shared by Michigan and Ontario, and the Italian Mediterranean — investigated as part of the ambitious pilot project involving eDNA.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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The place is decaying and strict, but Luna refuses to give in to its rules.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Wrappers and crushed soda cans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
White people organized a brutal resistance against Black citizenship, deploying violence and terror to crush Reconstruction.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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His most recent stop before Arkansas was in Baltimore, Maryland, as a night and breaking news editor.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
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With eight catches for 129 yards, the third-year player remains on pace to break the NFL’s single-season record for receiving yards (1,964 by Calvin Johnson in 2012).—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Good drainage also helps prevent crown rot in winter.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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The rotting corpse flower’s putrid stench cast a spell Thursday across Roseville High School’s campus.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Walpole got on the board first, scoring three seconds into the second quarter when Jack English pounded the ball into the end zone on third-and-goal from the one.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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Without its dynamic starting quarterback, the Cougars were outpaced by visiting Inglewood, which pounded the rock in a 40-16 victory on Friday at Saddleback College.—
Zach Cavanagh,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disintegrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disintegrate. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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