disperse

Definition of dispersenext
1
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole the crowd dispersed once the show ended

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to scatter
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart the family of the missing woman dispersed searchers to all corners of the national park

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to disband
to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization the campaign staff dispersed almost immediately after the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disperse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disperse are dispel, dissipate, and scatter. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

When can dispel be used instead of disperse?

Although the words dispel and disperse have much in common, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

When could dissipate be used to replace disperse?

The meanings of dissipate and disperse largely overlap; however, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

When would scatter be a good substitute for disperse?

The words scatter and disperse can be used in similar contexts, but scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

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 disperse Early on Tuesday, police began firing tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters. Reuters, NBC news, 10 June 2026 These grants are typically worth an average of US$200,000, dispersed over several years. Remy Dou, The Conversation, 10 June 2026 Chemical sunscreens, however, are designed to soak into the skin and work by creating a chemical reaction that absorbs ultraviolet radiation as energy, dispersing it as heat. Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 9 June 2026 The individuals have been charged with one or a combination of offenses including simple assault, conspiracy, theft, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct, aggravated assault, riot and others. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • That statement stood in stark contrast to the longstanding stodginess of the Kings, which dissipated into flat-out ineffectiveness under Jim Hiller for three quarters of last season until he was sacked.
    Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 11 June 2026
  • Position the computing capabilities in orbit, where the solar array is always in sunlight, where there is no grid connection to wait for, and where waste heat dissipates into a vacuum rather than into a water body.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • Styled by Joseph Cassell Falconer, the design also featured off-the-shoulder sleeves and multicolored floral embroidery scattered down the middle.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
  • There are 11 TVs scattered across the premises, offering both indoor and outdoor viewing.
    Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • In 2012, the commission was incorporated into the Tourism Authority and disbanded during severe budget cuts.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
  • Many of the top leaders are gone, and the office’s advisory committee has also been disbanded.
    O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 5 June 2026
Verb
  • As America marks the 82nd anniversary of D-Day on Saturday, a group of women whose wartime labor helped sustain the Allied war effort gathered in New Orleans to remember a generation that is rapidly disappearing.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2026
  • At the Union the meat is still cut in-house and aged on a band saw, a practice Boyd says has all but disappeared elsewhere.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Verb
  • Never leave a bowl of sugar dissolved in water by itself to attract butterflies.
    Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 7 June 2026
  • Heat it up until the sugar completely dissolves, then cool it off to room temperature and put it in the feeder.
    Ray Petelin, CBS News, 6 June 2026
Verb
  • Members of the organizations explained that the numerous legal and regulatory actions are not fading away once SpaceX goes public, but are likely to escalate and become bigger risks to investors, pension fund holders and other members of the financial community.
    Ashley Capoot,CJ Haddad,Samantha Subin,Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 12 June 2026
  • Hackman plays a chess-loving private investigator tasked with finding the 16-year-old daughter (Melanie Griffith, in her film debut) of a fading actress.
    Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

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