dispersed

Definition of dispersednext
past tense of disperse
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

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2
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

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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 While some protesters dispersed, others remained and continued to throw bottles and rocks at officers, according to the LAPD. Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026 Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road. Kimberlee Kruesi, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026 Try going in the late afternoon, when a lot of the crowds have dispersed. Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 The photos of the Hollywood stars were first printed out by Sony on four different postcards and dispersed throughout Liverpool’s Institute of Performing Arts, as well as in Hamburg, New York City and Tokyo, on Thursday. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026 The crowd dispersed soon after. Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026 They easily could have been mistaken for agitated sports fans, and their actions were small and diffuse enough that they could be quickly dispersed. Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026 After they were released, family members dispersed from Cairo in search of safety, according to Ghanem. Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026 Forbes excludes dispersed family fortunes but attributes wealth of immediate family members to the founder of a fortune. Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersed
Verb
  • The storms dissipated while the Hoosiers took their first-half lead, and blue skies appeared in the second half.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Jan. 2026
  • The storms dissipated while the Hoosiers took their first-half lead, and some blue in the sky appeared early in the second half while the Hoosiers closed in on history.
    Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Instead of dotting the same black scrim, like pinholes in a two-dimensional theater backdrop, the stars were scattered through space at dramatically varying distances, a vast swarm of them filling every last corner of an even vaster, more numinous, and emphatically three-dimensional darkness.
    Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Your press should not feel random or scattered.
    Becca Brazil, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • On February 25, 1986, after four days of protests along Manila’s Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the Marcoses jetted to exile in Hawaii, and the barangay militias disbanded.
    Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Relations between the three soured in 2021 and following Rooney’s DUI arrest that September, the group quietly disbanded.
    Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The area where the plane disappeared, near Colombia’s border with Venezuela, is known for its mountainous terrain and poor visibility.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • This is not because demand for technology has disappeared.
    Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Cook syrup just until sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds; immediately remove pot from heat and let cool.
    Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Rainfall, irrigation and drainage can transport phosphorus – either dissolved in water or attached to eroded soil particles – into nearby canals, streams, rivers and lakes.
    Dinesh Phuyal, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Her nurse scooped her up and ran to put her into a cold bath, and slowly the motions faded.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Sun-faded and well-worn, a great pair of distressed jeans can tell a story in its patches and tears.
    Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dispersed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersed. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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