as in dispersion
an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
the dispersal of plant seeds in the forests through natural means
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Recent Examples of dispersal
Police issued several dispersal orders before authorizing the use of force, which included deploying tear gas.
—
Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The dispersal order has since been lifted.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
While most gatherings were reportedly peaceful, authorities and media reported clashes late in the day outside federal properties in Los Angeles and Portland, where police issued dispersal orders and made arrests after confrontations at sites associated with immigration enforcement and detention.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Police may shut down a protest through a dispersal order, according to the ACLU, but it must be used as a last resort in situations where there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder or interference with traffic, as well as any other immediate threats to public safety.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispersal
Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The dispersal order has since been lifted.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
While most gatherings were reportedly peaceful, authorities and media reported clashes late in the day outside federal properties in Los Angeles and Portland, where police issued dispersal orders and made arrests after confrontations at sites associated with immigration enforcement and detention.
—Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026
Police may shut down a protest through a dispersal order, according to the ACLU, but it must be used as a last resort in situations where there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder or interference with traffic, as well as any other immediate threats to public safety.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dispersal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersal
Noun
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This proprietary approach overcomes challenges of surface treatment and dispersion associated with the material.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
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Goldman notes that the three-month realized pairwise correlation among the major AI hyperscalers—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle—has fallen sharply, with rising dispersion among the dominant names.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the site, the team used a technique known as inelastic neutron scattering, that is defined as an event where neutrons lose or gain energy by transferring energy to form a sample.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
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The atmosphere is lousy with the stuff, tinting the air a butterscotch color—except near the sun in the sky, where light scattering creates a blue aura that is best visible at sunset.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispersal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersal. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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