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
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Recent Examples of dispersing
Responding officers found a large group of people dispersing from the area of Mill Street and Chapel Street and were told by passersby that there had been a fight on Chapel Street and that someone had been shot.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
This prevents seeds from dispersing when a squirrel sits on the feeder.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Yuval Tzur, who has attended weekly protests since the war began, told CNN that police began dispersing people in HaBima Square soon after the demonstration began.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, unlike some carbon removal strategies that rely on transporting and dispersing large quantities of crushed rock, this method operates entirely on-site.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Areas across the northeast side of Kodiak Island are likely to see between 6 and 10 inches of snow (again, particularly along the Gulf side of the island) until Monday night, with the heavy snow showers giving way to lighter snow overnight, dispersing by Tuesday morning.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The glass rear panel is highly reflective, dispersing glare in all directions.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
This prevents seeds from dispersing when a squirrel sits on the feeder.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Yuval Tzur, who has attended weekly protests since the war began, told CNN that police began dispersing people in HaBima Square soon after the demonstration began.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, unlike some carbon removal strategies that rely on transporting and dispersing large quantities of crushed rock, this method operates entirely on-site.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Areas across the northeast side of Kodiak Island are likely to see between 6 and 10 inches of snow (again, particularly along the Gulf side of the island) until Monday night, with the heavy snow showers giving way to lighter snow overnight, dispersing by Tuesday morning.
—Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
The glass rear panel is highly reflective, dispersing glare in all directions.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersing
Verb
-
The crowd thinned as clouds of dust headed toward Brickell Avenue before dissipating, revealing a sunny, blue sky.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
-
At least, the tension between Jenna and Eddy is dissipating.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last year, Jeff Wong had just returned from scattering his father’s ashes in Hawaii when a glow appeared over the mountains near his home in Altadena.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The warheads burst open at high altitudes, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets across a wide area that are difficult to intercept.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The band released three albums before dissolving in 2001.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The blade uses a chemical degradation solution that works at ambient temperature and pressure, chemically dissolving the glue holding the blade together, so the high-value carbon fiber can be recovered and reused in new turbines or car parts.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maré is a model positive-impact project using tourism to preserve both the flora and fauna here—the Atlantic Forest is one of the most biodiverse biomes on the planet—and the disappearing vernacular of traditional Brazilian design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Some decayed quickly, effectively disappearing without having done much harm.—
Eduardo B. Farfán,
The Conversation,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Sequence became the first female hip-hop act to sign with Sugar Hill Records and released three albums before disbanding in 1985.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The cast iron ensures even heat distribution and the enamel iresists fading, chipping, cracking, and staining.—
Mia Huelsbeck,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Shapiro-Ikenberry led through most of the first half of the race before fading to seventh.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispersing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersing. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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