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
After waiting hours in the sweltering heat before the wedding to see the A-list guests arrive, faithful Swifties are finally dispersing after news the couple officially tied the knot.
—
Gordon Ebanks,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
For driveways, porches, and patios, use a shop vac or a broom and dustpan to get rid of them without dispersing them around your yard.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
The initiative is designed to encourage travelers to spend more time at famous cultural attractions by dispersing the visitor numbers more evenly throughout the day.
—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The superintendent highlighted the teen trend at 57th Street Beach during Memorial Day weekend when officers made 70 arrests and recovered 15 guns while dispersing people from the lakefront.
—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Instead of dispersing evenly over the lawn after they are cut by the mower blades, wet clippings clump together and fall on the lawn in piles or clog your mower deck.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2026
But instead of quietly dispersing, patrons and neighborhood residents resisted, sparking several nights of demonstrations that crystallized growing frustration with discrimination and police harassment.
—
Diana Rodriguez,
Time,
8 June 2026
Native ants are major contributors to underground ecosystems, controlling insect populations, dispersing seeds and improving soil health.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Eradication involves sterilizing male flies using radiation and dispersing them where screwworm flies are indigenous, according to the American Society for Microbiology.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Gordon Ebanks,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
For driveways, porches, and patios, use a shop vac or a broom and dustpan to get rid of them without dispersing them around your yard.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 June 2026
The initiative is designed to encourage travelers to spend more time at famous cultural attractions by dispersing the visitor numbers more evenly throughout the day.
—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
The superintendent highlighted the teen trend at 57th Street Beach during Memorial Day weekend when officers made 70 arrests and recovered 15 guns while dispersing people from the lakefront.
—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Instead of dispersing evenly over the lawn after they are cut by the mower blades, wet clippings clump together and fall on the lawn in piles or clog your mower deck.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2026
But instead of quietly dispersing, patrons and neighborhood residents resisted, sparking several nights of demonstrations that crystallized growing frustration with discrimination and police harassment.
—
Diana Rodriguez,
Time,
8 June 2026
Native ants are major contributors to underground ecosystems, controlling insect populations, dispersing seeds and improving soil health.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
4 June 2026
Eradication involves sterilizing male flies using radiation and dispersing them where screwworm flies are indigenous, according to the American Society for Microbiology.
—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersing
Verb
-
Cristina dumped rain across Central America late last week before dissipating.
-
Worries are accelerating that the burst of inflation is broadening, as the jump in oil prices starts to spread through the economy and raise expectations that inflation isn’t dissipating anytime soon.
Verb
-
Create a Backstock Bin Instead of scattering your extra hangers across closet rods, shelves, and floors, designate one spot for overflow.
-
This happens because moonlight must pass through a thicker layer of Earth's atmosphere when the moon is low on the horizon, scattering shorter wavelengths of light and allowing warmer colors to dominate.
Verb
-
The textile recycler restarted production at its industrial-scale facility in Ortviken, Sweden in February and regrouped with Finnish material innovator Spinnova in March to use its cellulose-rich dissolving pulp as feedstock in Spinnova’s ecosystem to produce new textile fibers.
-
The one moment of genuine conversation between him and Jen this episode lasted about 15 seconds before dissolving, again, into tonsil hockey.
Verb
-
None of this means Chinese firms are disappearing from Africa.
-
This lighthearted cameo delighted longtime fans and underscored that, while the late-night institution has closed, Colbert himself isn't disappearing from the spotlight anytime soon.
Verb
-
Trump has mused to friends and advisers about disbanding the office, which has never really fulfilled the vision that Congress laid out for it two decades ago, after the 9/11 attacks.
-
In 2021, more than 43% of voters supported disbanding the department as the city reeled from Floyd’s killing and the massive protests and widespread rioting that followed.
Verb
-
More than a week after the disaster, search-and-rescue operations remain active, though hopes of finding additional survivors are rapidly fading.
-
Thousands remain missing more than a week after the twin earthquakes struck Venezuela and hope for finding survivors is fading into and effort to recover remains.
Cite this Entry
“Dispersing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
