disperse

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

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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

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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

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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 Entomologist Shadrack Muya, a senior lecturer at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, told the Associated Press that garden ants are important for aerating soils, enhancing soil fertility and dispersing seeds. Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2025 Each year, the CPB disperses $535 million in taxpayer funds to public radio and TV stations nationwide, including stations with PBS and NPR. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025 Eos is predicted to disperse, or photodissociate, as a result of background photons impacting the cloud's molecules, in about 5.7 million years' time. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025 Given how many people were still waiting two and a half hours after they were told to disperse, maybe this is a good reminder for her that she’s reached a level of fame where a performance in the park is probably never gonna be a walk in the park to coordinate. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • Traditional weddings are gradually dissipating, with a clear generational divide.
    Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
  • While tensions don't exactly appear to be dissipating, these talks are the first sign that the trade rivals could reach a resolution after Trump raised tariffs on some Chinese imports as high as 145 percent.
    Ashley Belanger – May 7, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • The positions are scattered across the agency from Guam to Fairbanks and Key West.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • This urine can simply be scattered around the ground, diluted into a fertilizer or disposed of in a toilet back home, depending on the situation.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • At a time in America when our institutional safety nets are being disbanded and the burden to support each other often comes down to individual efforts, Charlie’s struggle feels all the more apt.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 May 2025
  • The officers were all part of the force’s controversial SCORPION unit – created to tackle rising crime in the city and disbanded amid national outcry and allegations of pervasive policing abuses following Nichols’ death.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Otherwise, film journalism will disappear from mainstream press, becoming the preserve of fan sites.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
  • Micah, then 34, went missing in March 2018, and Baylee, then 20, disappeared in April, per Marie Claire.
    Emily Krauser, People.com, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • But the Supreme Court dissolved the order before any delay on an appeal by the attorney general.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 14 May 2025
  • With only three months to negotiate a lasting trade agreement, the current reprieve could dissolve if talks stall or reverse.
    Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Advisors who can build trust and act as a central coordinator for these services are invaluable—and often become long-term partners even after the spotlight fades.
    Jason Katz, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025
  • In a world that often forgets the victims once the headlines fade, Joseph Dedvukaj remains a constant force—a voice, a fighter, and a steady hand guiding people back toward wholeness.
    William Jones, USA Today, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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