1
as in to break
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
an earthquake that had disrupted the elevated highway in several places
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disturb
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
the arrival of a baby in the household would totally disrupt their established routine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disrupt
The same can be said for oversized plants and decorative items that disrupt the visual connection between the seating area and the rest of the room.
—
Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 8 June 2026
Exoplanets with orbits tilted with respect to their invariable plane could disrupt the rest of their system.
—Doris Elin Urrutia, Space.com, 8 June 2026
Train service was not disrupted.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Three years in a row This is the third year in a row that youths have disrupted the Downtown Days festival.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 8 June 2026
Exoplanets with orbits tilted with respect to their invariable plane could disrupt the rest of their system.
—Doris Elin Urrutia, Space.com, 8 June 2026
Train service was not disrupted.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026
Three years in a row This is the third year in a row that youths have disrupted the Downtown Days festival.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
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Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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The roads, rubble on rubble, broken.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The zoo says that the facility would be about 50 yards from some of its animals and that the noise could disturb its residents, including a leap of leopards that hail originally from Southeast Asia.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
6 June 2026
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The lawsuit filed Thursday by Karen Read against Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police revealed a long history of disturbing text messages between former police officers Michael Proctor and Sean Goode that allegedly included racial slurs, sexist comments and other offensive material.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Deficient Humility manifests as arrogance, which can fracture teams and alienate fans.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Over one tense weekend, old patterns and buried wounds surface in front of in-laws and guests, until the celebration fractures into a collision.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Instead, the ideologues of Russian imperialism have turned to random musings and belligerent hate speech, which seems intended to confuse rather than convince.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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Relocating a bird's nest is confusing for the parents, dangerous for the eggs, and, in most cases, against the law.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
6 June 2026
Verb
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In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The Russian president, who has never acknowledged that Ukraine is a legitimate country, or that Zelensky is its legitimate president, could continue to bomb Ukrainian cities, hoping to destroy the electrical grid and make the country unlivable.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Verb
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After starting at right tackle, Lomu flipped to the left side as Will Campbell’s top backup when the Patriots shuffled their O-line personnel with Maye still on the field.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
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The state's unique open primary — in which the top two contenders advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation — was plagued by Democratic in-fighting and scandal that repeatedly shuffled the frontrunners.—
Kyler Alvord,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Before long, the living room is reduced to a bare stage, upon which only a couple of pulleys and switches are visible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Each ergonomic Nuage seat fully reclines to improve circulation and reduce back pressure.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
8 June 2026
Verb
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But if records are missing, disorganized, or affected by fraud, recovering customer assets may require additional investigation and legal action.—
Karl Montevirgen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
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The total number of ADF militants in the DRC is unclear due to the organization’s loose and often disorganized nature.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupt. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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