1
as in breaking
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 shuffling
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 disrupting
In simple terms, space warfare is about controlling, or disrupting, the satellites and space systems modern militaries rely on every day.
—
Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
Rendering examines how artificial intelligence is disrupting the entertainment industry, taking you inside key battlegrounds and spotlighting change makers wielding the technology for good and ill.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
That strike started over the weekend at the port’s main jetties, with protesters disrupting the loading and unloading of containers and cargo.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Two Minnesota school districts and the state's largest teachers union on Wednesday sued to block federal immigration agents from showing up to school property, which educators say is distressing families and disrupting student learning.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
One of the two entrances to Elephant Valley is outfitted with bee boxes; bees are known to be a natural elephant deterrent and can help in preventing the animals from disrupting crops or communities.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Software stocks have been under pressure for some time, starting in the latter half of 2025, as fears of artificial intelligence disrupting the industry took hold.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Lemon’s arrest came after the Department of Justice sought to charge him with a civil rights violation for disrupting a religious service during a Minnesota ICE Protest.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
The team behind it has been disrupting the scent space since its launch in 2024 with all-gender, layerable aromas that have relatable vibes like Sh**ty Day and Only Human thanks to outside-the-box notes that are a literal breath of fresh air.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Emma Withrow, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
Rendering examines how artificial intelligence is disrupting the entertainment industry, taking you inside key battlegrounds and spotlighting change makers wielding the technology for good and ill.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
That strike started over the weekend at the port’s main jetties, with protesters disrupting the loading and unloading of containers and cargo.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 5 Feb. 2026
Two Minnesota school districts and the state's largest teachers union on Wednesday sued to block federal immigration agents from showing up to school property, which educators say is distressing families and disrupting student learning.
—Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
One of the two entrances to Elephant Valley is outfitted with bee boxes; bees are known to be a natural elephant deterrent and can help in preventing the animals from disrupting crops or communities.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Software stocks have been under pressure for some time, starting in the latter half of 2025, as fears of artificial intelligence disrupting the industry took hold.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
Lemon’s arrest came after the Department of Justice sought to charge him with a civil rights violation for disrupting a religious service during a Minnesota ICE Protest.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 3 Feb. 2026
The team behind it has been disrupting the scent space since its launch in 2024 with all-gender, layerable aromas that have relatable vibes like Sh**ty Day and Only Human thanks to outside-the-box notes that are a literal breath of fresh air.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupting
Verb
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The Games also keep broadening their reach to new or revisited sports – breaking (breakdancing) in Paris; ski mountaineering in Milan; squash, lacrosse, cricket and flag football in Los Angeles.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Bjoergen captures her 11th career medal, breaking a three-way tie with Russian Raisa Smetanina and Italian Stefania Belmondo.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bridgerton treats it as though every woman got multiples of their yearbook photo to hand around as headshots, and Benedict’s taking what would have been treasured personal heirlooms and just shuffling through them and tossing out anyone with the wrong hair color.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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Silvia showed them little affection or attention, shuffling quickly through the infants to feed, change, or hold them.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One flight attendant was lifted to the celling and then thrown to the floor, fracturing her spine.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Saxon had abused the woman for years, fracturing her hip and nose and causing internal bleeding, a judge found in a ruling ordering him detained pending trial.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The documents, which are unclassified FBI and Department of Homeland Security intelligence reports, provide disturbing new insights into the growing problem – and also illustrate law enforcement’s struggle to crack down on the decentralized movement.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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With their special technology, the cameras can take high-quality videos of animals at night without disturbing them.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That trust was put to the test in 1976, when the Teton Dam failed, and more than 80 billion gallons of water spilled out of the breached reservoir, killing six people in Rexburg and destroying hundreds of millions of dollars of property.—
Northwest River Partners,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
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After the phone was seized, investigators determined Johnson used an online account or third-party service to remotely wipe the device, destroying potential evidence.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Germany's exact medal count is a point of contention because Germany has not always competed in each Olympics as a unified country, which can lead to confusing medal counts.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
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For many, tax season can be a confusing and stressful time with lingering deadlines and confusing tax forms.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The system responded within milliseconds, fast enough to support real-time reactions such as pulling away from harmful contact or reducing applied force during interaction.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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Republicans argued the bill would accomplish little in the way of reducing rates and would demonize utility executives.—
Christine Condon,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That gold came in the men’s competition, with a team led by John Shuster upsetting Canada in the semifinals, then besting Sweden in the final.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Decent-sized boulders were no match for the air springs, which absorbed them with ease and allowed the tires to drive right over them without upsetting the balance.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupting. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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