Synonyms of disperse

disperse 1 of 2

verb (1)

di-ˈspərs 

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

• dissipate
• scatter
• disappear
• dissolve
• fade
• disassemble
• evaporate
• disband
• divide
• diverge
• melt
• spill
• flee
• separate
• fork
• branch (out)
• clear
• break up
• evanesce
• go (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• meet
• gather
• congregate

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

• scatter
• dissipate
• disband
• dispel
• separate
• isolate
• spread
• segregate
• squander
• diffuse
• disseminate
• clear out
• split (up)
• part
• diverge
• break up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collect
• gather
• concentrate
• assemble
• congregate
• cluster
• conglomerate
• unite
• unify
• ingather
• agglutinate

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

• disband
• dissolve
• break up
• demobilize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• join
• unite
• incorporate
• consolidate
• band
• hang together

dispersed

2 of 2

verb (2)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissipated
• scattered
• disappeared
• dissolved
• faded
• disassembled
• divided
• evaporated
• disbanded
• separated
• melted
• spilled
• diverged
• fled
• forked
• spilt
• went (away)
• branched (out)
• broke up
• cleared
• evanesced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gathered
• met
• congregated

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

• scattered
• dissipated
• disbanded
• separated
• isolated
• dispelled
• spread
• segregated
• squandered
• diffused
• cleared out
• disseminated
• parted
• split (up)
• broke up
• diverged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• collected
• assembled
• concentrated
• gathered
• clustered
• congregated
• ingathered
• united
• unified
• agglutinated
• conglomerated

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

• disbanded
• dissolved
• broke up
• demobilized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joined
• united
• incorporated
• banded
• consolidated
• hung together

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of disperse

Verb

What’s different now is stark: Hamas, as a governing army, has been stripped of its capacity to rule—its battalions shattered, its ministries dismantled, and its command structure dispersed. —Yonatan Touval, Time, 22 Aug. 2025

Rather than dispersing his massive collection, Tomlinson decided to relocate. —Will McGough, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Verb

Drivers moved to that intersection after police dispersed a group who had taken over a street near the 8100 block of University City Boulevard. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 12 Mar. 2025

Federal student loans, like other forms of federal financial aid, will continue to be dispersed as long as Congress keeps the programs around. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025