1
as in dissipating
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 scattering
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 dissolving
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 dispersing
The missiles are the largest of Iran’s submunition-dispersing arsenal.
—
Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead of dispersing, the crowd pelted officers with snowballs, ice and, according to police union reports, rocks.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Meat becomes tender through gentle steaming, vegetables soften while holding their shape, and spices integrate directly into the ingredients rather than dispersing into a broth.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
The tortoise is a what is called a keystone species, dispersing seeds and helping to regenerate forests, so the hope is that its return will begin to push the island more closely toward its original ecological state.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
Bringing the country together, not dispersing it.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The crowd of students that had flooded into Klyde Warren Park was gradually dispersing; some returned to the classroom and others lingered around the greenery.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Videos shared online show the moments after the situation escalated, with groups of teens running and dispersing outside the building.
—Nicole Nielsen, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Fit for purpose Next-gen designs could boost those gains by dispersing battery material around drone frames, electric motors, or other surfaces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Feb. 2026
Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead of dispersing, the crowd pelted officers with snowballs, ice and, according to police union reports, rocks.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Meat becomes tender through gentle steaming, vegetables soften while holding their shape, and spices integrate directly into the ingredients rather than dispersing into a broth.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
The tortoise is a what is called a keystone species, dispersing seeds and helping to regenerate forests, so the hope is that its return will begin to push the island more closely toward its original ecological state.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
Bringing the country together, not dispersing it.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The crowd of students that had flooded into Klyde Warren Park was gradually dispersing; some returned to the classroom and others lingered around the greenery.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
Videos shared online show the moments after the situation escalated, with groups of teens running and dispersing outside the building.
—Nicole Nielsen, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Fit for purpose Next-gen designs could boost those gains by dispersing battery material around drone frames, electric motors, or other surfaces.
—IEEE Spectrum, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersing
Verb
-
Lithium-ion batteries are highly efficient, dissipating less than 10% of their energy as heat during operation.—
Etiido Uko
March 04,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Long was diagnosed with a left elbow sprain but already has experienced dissipating soreness.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Scouts and executives are scattering across the country this week to delve into conference tournaments before the NCAA Tournament begins in a week.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Many of its songs crystallize around samples of choirs singing, their soft syllables dissolving beneath heavy shrouds of reverb.—
Sasha Geffen,
Pitchfork,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Bones in her shoulder were dissolving, something called osteolysis.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Due to the show’s tumultuous nature, actors cycle in and out of the spotlight, leading the action for a scene or two, then disappearing into the wings.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Once the account is set up, pre-teens won’t be able to access advanced features such as Meta AI, status updates, chat lock, app lock, location sharing, view-once messages, disappearing messages, and linked devices.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The group released seven studio albums between 1985 and 2011 before disbanding in 2014 after Spinks died of liver cancer, followed by Lewis’ death in 2020.—
Annie Harrigan,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Over the past year, the Justice Department has been in turmoil, with new leaders essentially gutting the public integrity and tax units and disbanding a task force designed to fight international corruption.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Produced by Edko Films and directed by Jack Ng, the film is set in 2012 at a fading hostess nightclub in Tsim Sha Tsui East.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispersing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersing. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
