Synonyms of dispel

dispel

verb

di-ˈspel 

as in to disperse

to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart

the sudden downpour dispelled the throng of street revelers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disperse
• dissipate
• scatter
• isolate
• disband
• squander
• segregate
• disseminate
• clear out
• diffuse
• split (up)
• separate
• part
• spread
• break up
• diverge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collect
• gather
• concentrate
• assemble
• congregate
• cluster
• unite
• unify
• conglomerate
• ingather
• agglutinate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dispel differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dispel are disperse, dissipate, and scatter. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

When would disperse be a good substitute for dispel?

While in some cases nearly identical to dispel, disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

When could dissipate be used to replace dispel?

The words dissipate and dispel can be used in similar contexts, but dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

When might scatter be a better fit than dispel?

The meanings of scatter and dispel largely overlap; however, scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dispel

The department also issued a news release trying to dispel federal claims about the criminal records of people sought by federal agents, including the person at the center of an operation Saturday near where Pretti was shot. —Claudia Lauer, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026

Attempting to dispel the language barrier defense, Government lawyers attempted to enter a three-minute interview video into its questioning of Kadokawa. —Sam Blum, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026

Tapped to solve the mystery, and dispel rumors about the military’s involvement, is army officer Soegeng, whose investigation eventually leads him to confront the realities as corruption. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 23 Jan. 2026

His EsDeeKid remix dispelled a rumor that the Liverpool artist was Chalamet’s alter ego while leaving intact the notion that the actor secretly raps. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026