1
as in fractured
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 disturbed
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
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 disrupted
His arrival disrupted Diawara’s rhythm but gave Brown a gritty, experienced defender for small-ball combinations.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
An uneven jobs landscape and disrupted energy markets due to the war in the Middle East has made the Federal Reserve more sensitive to inflation in recent months, resulting in a pause on rate cuts.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Their dreams of playing together for coach Geno Auriemma were disrupted and delayed, each missing significant time with knee injuries, playing only a handful of games together before Bueckers chose to return for a fifth year.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Lake Shore Public Schools closed all schools Monday after a technical issue disrupted the district's safety and communication systems.
—Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Many of these systems will be disrupted during the worst-case space weather events.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Over the past few weeks, a few water utilities have said their supply had been disrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The stream shows a gap and spur pattern, as if something invisible passed through it and disrupted its structure.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Apr. 2026
Debt management has been a central challenge for Learfield since that merger, Sportico has previously reported, a task that grew tougher when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the college sports calendar for multiple seasons.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
An uneven jobs landscape and disrupted energy markets due to the war in the Middle East has made the Federal Reserve more sensitive to inflation in recent months, resulting in a pause on rate cuts.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Their dreams of playing together for coach Geno Auriemma were disrupted and delayed, each missing significant time with knee injuries, playing only a handful of games together before Bueckers chose to return for a fifth year.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Lake Shore Public Schools closed all schools Monday after a technical issue disrupted the district's safety and communication systems.
—Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
Many of these systems will be disrupted during the worst-case space weather events.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Over the past few weeks, a few water utilities have said their supply had been disrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
The stream shows a gap and spur pattern, as if something invisible passed through it and disrupted its structure.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Apr. 2026
Debt management has been a central challenge for Learfield since that merger, Sportico has previously reported, a task that grew tougher when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the college sports calendar for multiple seasons.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupted
Verb
-
Larissa and Charlie’s relationship doesn’t seem all that fractured.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Ties between Anthropic — which has only released Mythos to some institutions — and Washington have fractured since the Pentagon declared the AI giant a supply-chain risk after a dispute over how its technology could be used.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Courts also accord high deference to arbitration decisions and require extraordinary findings to vacate an arbitration award, meaning arbitration decisions are normally not disturbed or challenged.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Peale was especially disturbed by Kennedy’s prospects.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Defense attorneys will likely argue that the explosion was a tragic accident, but was unintended — even if the defendants broke rules meant to regulate the sale and storage of fireworks, Parisi said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
During the Honorary Starters ceremony in 2021, Wayne sparked criticism after holding up a box of OnCore golf balls during a photo opportunity with Lee Elder, a Black golfer who broke the tournament's color barrier in 1975.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Several residents say they were left scared and confused as strong winds and heavy rain moved through the area.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While there are no comprehensive studies comparing the environmental impacts of cultivated versus conventional seafood, alternatives like Wildtype could avoid ocean pollution and overfishing, which have caused losses in biodiversity and destroyed the ocean’s resiliency.—
Jaia Clingham-David,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Yutu destroyed 85% of the Saipan campus of Northern Marianas College, said the school's president, Galvin Deleon Guerrero.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For weeks, Isaiah Mosley shuffled into the morning chaos of the Miami criminal courthouse.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Born from the embers of the eighties band Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, led by the singer and guitarist Amelia Fletcher, shuffled forward with her riffy, effervescent playing style, gradually growing more sophisticated across four LPs and an EP, without any loss of buoyancy.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And Utah temporarily reduced its state fuel tax, but only by 6 cents on the gallon, bringing its state gas tax to 32 cents on the gallon for the remainder of 2026.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Iran’s enrichment capabilities have been reduced by bombing this year and last.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the proverbial switch is flipped and the Wolves upset Denver, there will be little reason to doubt this team going forward, whether in these playoffs or seasons to come.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Cade realized the players were sweating out electrolytes — another word for minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium — and upsetting the body’s chemical balance.—
Dee-Ann Durbin,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupted. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
