as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart
the sudden downpour dispelled the throng of street revelers
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Recent Examples of dispelling
The public is both fascinated and afraid of injections, but dispelling the rumors that a massive needle could go as deep as your bone goes a long way in vaccine adoption.
—
Adam Goodcoff, STAT, 13 May 2026
Joining the chorus of other CEOs, former Goldman Sachs leader Lloyd Blankfein is dispelling the myth that an Ivy League degree or supreme intellect is a prerequisite for success.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Presumably, the prospect of raking in another nine figures should go a long way toward dispelling any fears of overloading the tryptophan-adjacent stretch of the NFL calendar.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
This movie, based on a real-life 1940s women's professional baseball team, was ahead of its time in dispelling gender stereotypes.
—Karen Cicero, Parents, 5 Mar. 2026
The team set out to do a series of media interviews and push out information dispelling the government’s narrative.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Efforts by the Kremlin to encourage more births had fallen flat, Sonin said, because women in Russia did not feel safe and secure, with the low birth rate direct evidence of that and effectively dispelling positive images of the country and war promoted by Russia and state-run media.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
But the numbers may spell trouble for the Republican Party in the midterms this year, and even in the long term, perhaps dispelling the notion that a greater cultural shift had taken place in 2024.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
Now more than ever, Evavold said Halloween is about bringing families and youngsters together rather than dispelling trouble that might be brewing.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Adam Goodcoff, STAT, 13 May 2026
Joining the chorus of other CEOs, former Goldman Sachs leader Lloyd Blankfein is dispelling the myth that an Ivy League degree or supreme intellect is a prerequisite for success.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Presumably, the prospect of raking in another nine figures should go a long way toward dispelling any fears of overloading the tryptophan-adjacent stretch of the NFL calendar.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
This movie, based on a real-life 1940s women's professional baseball team, was ahead of its time in dispelling gender stereotypes.
—Karen Cicero, Parents, 5 Mar. 2026
The team set out to do a series of media interviews and push out information dispelling the government’s narrative.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Efforts by the Kremlin to encourage more births had fallen flat, Sonin said, because women in Russia did not feel safe and secure, with the low birth rate direct evidence of that and effectively dispelling positive images of the country and war promoted by Russia and state-run media.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
But the numbers may spell trouble for the Republican Party in the midterms this year, and even in the long term, perhaps dispelling the notion that a greater cultural shift had taken place in 2024.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
Now more than ever, Evavold said Halloween is about bringing families and youngsters together rather than dispelling trouble that might be brewing.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispelling
dispersing
Verb
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Experts and congressional aides have said that Iran was likely able to preserve some of its arsenal by deploying decoys and dispersing weapons around the country.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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Johnson mentioned the possibility of Mexican wolves dispersing into Texas from the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area, which covers portions of Arizona and New Mexico south of Interstate 40.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispelling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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