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
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
This could include sharing the results of the aforementioned A/B tests in a blog, conducting an email awareness campaign dispelling common misconceptions about passkeys, or building popups that briefly explain the benefits of passkeys at the login screen.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 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
By dispelling the myth of SPS superiority, this study opens the door to more flexible and cost-effective production strategies, accelerating the path toward safer, high-performance solid-state batteries, according to the study.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
During a neighborhood meeting Monday, developer Caleb Roope was able to soothe some concerns for neighbors, such as dispelling rumors that the complex would include low-income housing.
—Idaho Statesman, 29 Sep. 2025
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
This could include sharing the results of the aforementioned A/B tests in a blog, conducting an email awareness campaign dispelling common misconceptions about passkeys, or building popups that briefly explain the benefits of passkeys at the login screen.
—Fortune, 3 Jan. 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
By dispelling the myth of SPS superiority, this study opens the door to more flexible and cost-effective production strategies, accelerating the path toward safer, high-performance solid-state batteries, according to the study.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
During a neighborhood meeting Monday, developer Caleb Roope was able to soothe some concerns for neighbors, such as dispelling rumors that the complex would include low-income housing.
—Idaho Statesman, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispelling
dispersing
Verb
-
Instead of dispersing, the crowd pelted officers with snowballs, ice and, according to police union reports, rocks.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Meat becomes tender through gentle steaming, vegetables soften while holding their shape, and spices integrate directly into the ingredients rather than dispersing into a broth.—
Bridget Shirvell,
Martha Stewart,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispelling. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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