1
as in dissipated
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scattered
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 disbanded
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
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 dispersed
The four-cup collection also features one special Golden Fan Cup design, 3,000 of which will be randomly dispersed for sale across restaurants nationwide.
—
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026
Randomly dispersed among the cups nationwide will be 3,000 Golden Fan Cups.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Randomly dispersed among the cups nationwide will be 3,000 Golden Fan Cups.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
These assessments use detailed data on the quantity of emissions coming from each facility, the toxicity of each chemical and other information on how the chemicals are released and dispersed in the air.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026
While Maduro served as the symbolic and diplomatic face of Chavismo, day-to-day authority was long dispersed among loyal enforcers, negotiators and security chiefs whose influence often rivaled — and at times surpassed — that of the president himself.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Heating the indoor air in winter means the air will retain more moisture (it won't be dispersed to help humidify plants or your sinuses), but lowering the thermostat to a temperate 68 degrees F can help increase relative humidity in your home, and this can help your houseplants stay vibrant.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, the fine sand particles were dispersed and replaced by coarser sand particles, which covered the nest site.
—New Atlas, 3 Jan. 2026
Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 9 Jan. 2026
Randomly dispersed among the cups nationwide will be 3,000 Golden Fan Cups.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Randomly dispersed among the cups nationwide will be 3,000 Golden Fan Cups.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
These assessments use detailed data on the quantity of emissions coming from each facility, the toxicity of each chemical and other information on how the chemicals are released and dispersed in the air.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026
While Maduro served as the symbolic and diplomatic face of Chavismo, day-to-day authority was long dispersed among loyal enforcers, negotiators and security chiefs whose influence often rivaled — and at times surpassed — that of the president himself.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
After 15 years, Spanish troops dispersed the settlement—which had grown to 4,000, and had its own cavalry—but subsequent maroon groups forced colonizers to sign treaties with them.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Heating the indoor air in winter means the air will retain more moisture (it won't be dispersed to help humidify plants or your sinuses), but lowering the thermostat to a temperate 68 degrees F can help increase relative humidity in your home, and this can help your houseplants stay vibrant.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 5 Jan. 2026
Furthermore, the fine sand particles were dispersed and replaced by coarser sand particles, which covered the nest site.
—New Atlas, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersed
Verb
-
Any prospect of Republicans having a serious chance of keeping the Old Dominion this year was, at best, a mirage that dissipated months ago.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
-
With a muted atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium amidst despondent home support, West Ham’s opportunity was a potential mood-changer whose energy dissipated in the rattling of the woodwork.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Farther south, more stormwater treatment areas, 97 square miles of them in all, are scattered between the sugarcane and vegetable fields that make the EAA among the most bountiful regions in the nation and the fragile Everglades.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But the most compelling aspect of these eight episodes, set a year after Industry sold off the Pierpoint bank that once employed most of its characters and scattered them to London’s various elite cloisters, is the sense that money has never really been the point of the show.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After releasing five albums with the Richard Smallwood Singers, Smallwood disbanded the act in the early 1990s and went on to form a large backing choir known as Vision.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Smallwood disbanded the Smallwood Singers in the early 1990s and formed the backing choir Vision, which accompanied him on numerous albums through 2015.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Even worse for him, the cash ripped from his waist and disappeared into the darkness.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Although multiple witnesses reported seeing a shark near where Fox disappeared, the coroner did not officially confirm a shark bite until Thursday.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The crackdown has accelerated since Kuwait’s emir dissolved the country’s parliament in May 2024 and embarked on a regulatory overhaul.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
And the good vibes of those wins quickly dissolved with Toronto smacking them around in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Once the flowers have faded, trim the stalks 1 to 2 inches above the bulb, retaining the green foliage.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Lakers faded down the stretch to 27 points from the Spurs’ Keldon Johnson and 16 points and 14 rebounds by Victor Wembanyama.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispersed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersed. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share