as in decaying
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in decomposing
to go through decomposition
fallen leaves slowly disintegrate over the course of the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles
modern air pollution is gradually disintegrating the ancient temple's irreplaceable friezes
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in disrupting
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 disintegrating
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Around the world, states were disintegrating, climate systems were approaching tipping points, economies were stagnating, and inequality was rising.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
There was a debt on the company from a deal with Disney around Us Weekly and print revenues were disintegrating.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Only during the last months of the war, with slavery disintegrating and northern victory all but assured, did exchanges resume.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
This vacuum was meant to prevent the tungsten filament––that’s the little wire inside the bulb, the thing that glows––from burning up and disintegrating immediately, which is what a very hot piece of metal would do in the presence of oxygen.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
As in a seventeenth-century poem by John Donne, George Herbert, or Andrew Marvell, the fraught human body is a microcosm, a mirror to the larger disintegrating world spirit.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
When Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s army was disintegrating in the face of a rapid advance by Syrian opposition forces under the command of Ahmad al-Sharaa, all the Russians were willing to do was launch a few symbolic airstrikes and help organize Assad’s getaway to a life in exile.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
By removing microscopic defects and smoothing the surface, this coating ensures efficient energy flow while preventing the cell from disintegrating under intense heat.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
By 2019, Virginia photographer John Plashal caught wind of what was disintegrating on Hankins' out-of-the-way acres.
—Danielle Paquette The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Feb. 2026
Around the world, states were disintegrating, climate systems were approaching tipping points, economies were stagnating, and inequality was rising.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
There was a debt on the company from a deal with Disney around Us Weekly and print revenues were disintegrating.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Only during the last months of the war, with slavery disintegrating and northern victory all but assured, did exchanges resume.
—Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
This vacuum was meant to prevent the tungsten filament––that’s the little wire inside the bulb, the thing that glows––from burning up and disintegrating immediately, which is what a very hot piece of metal would do in the presence of oxygen.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
As in a seventeenth-century poem by John Donne, George Herbert, or Andrew Marvell, the fraught human body is a microcosm, a mirror to the larger disintegrating world spirit.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
When Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s army was disintegrating in the face of a rapid advance by Syrian opposition forces under the command of Ahmad al-Sharaa, all the Russians were willing to do was launch a few symbolic airstrikes and help organize Assad’s getaway to a life in exile.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
By removing microscopic defects and smoothing the surface, this coating ensures efficient energy flow while preventing the cell from disintegrating under intense heat.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disintegrating
Verb
-
Mushrooms also thrive in decomposing wood mulch.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
To prevent the fallow area from turning into a weed patch, cover it with agricultural-grade plastic or a thick layer of slowly decomposing mulch such as wood chips.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Trailblazers were grinding the whole second half, wearing down Harvard-Westlake players as the loud home fans cheered them on.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
And that was one of the goals going into the game — just keep grinding the entire game.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The beams would be far brighter than the full moon and, even if carefully pointed, would scatter in the atmosphere to be very bright off-beam, disrupting wildlife and effectively destroying the sky’s remaining natural beauty by erasing the stars from our sight.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Then, last summer, LA became the first major US city to face large-scale ICE raids, stoking fear among undocumented immigrants and disrupting the restaurant workforce.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Protect your home by removing decaying wood, controlling moisture, and cleaning gutters and overgrowth.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Meanwhile, scotch whisky wouldn’t even exist without the decaying power of peat—a terrifying thought, if there ever was one.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His win in Istanbul in 2019 represented a crushing blow to Erdogan, whose own political ascent began as the city’s mayor.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For too many New Yorkers, a single emergency can mean eviction or crushing debt.—
Tiffany Caban,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The conflict was sparked by Hezbollah targeting Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, breaking a 2024 ceasefire that in any case had largely failed.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Adebayo’s 43-point first half set a new franchise record for the most points by a Heat player in any half, breaking the previous team record of 37 points set by James in a second half on March 3, 2014.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With its worn and chipped paint and its exposure to the elements, the totem pole has been slowly rotting from the inside.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Discard rotting produce, and don’t leave food waste like banana peels on your counter, says Oi.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Using traditional Ukrainian folklore songs, voiceover plus pounding music, the stakes these young people confront become clearly apparent.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Everything around him pounding in its pulse, the song of the world thronging in all its discord.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disintegrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disintegrating. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
