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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disrupt
Additionally, 77 percent of growers rotate crops, disrupting pest cycles, building soil health and diversifying farm income for a more stable system.
—
Sj Studio, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026
The widening war in the Middle East has severely disrupted their livelihoods, with some migrant workers also reported killed or injured in airstrikes.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
This approach allowed construction to take place without disrupting railway services, which is typically a major challenge for infrastructure upgrades.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
The Iran war will continue to disrupt global oil supplies even if a ceasefire in the region leads to a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a new analysis.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Sj Studio, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026
The widening war in the Middle East has severely disrupted their livelihoods, with some migrant workers also reported killed or injured in airstrikes.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
This approach allowed construction to take place without disrupting railway services, which is typically a major challenge for infrastructure upgrades.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
The Iran war will continue to disrupt global oil supplies even if a ceasefire in the region leads to a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a new analysis.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
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Jake Burger hit a tie-breaking RBI double over the outstretched glove of left fielder Randy Arozarena in the sixth inning, Jacob deGrom and five Texas relievers combined for a two-hitter and the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Monday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The head coach of Michigan men’s basketball finally broke into a wide smile during the final seconds, holding a lone finger in the air at the end.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rose had collected art her whole life, cared a lot about her paintings, and was disturbed, obviously, by this fact that wasn’t a fact.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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Marcet’s intention was certainly not to disturb the religious faith of her young readers, most of whom would have been raised on a literal understanding of the biblical creation story.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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At a moment when our attention is fractured across phones, feeds, and tabs, the gap between occasional readers and obsessive ones has never felt wider.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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But, instead of mixing water, sand, and chemical additives for this fracturing (as done in fracking), an EGS primarily uses just water for fracturing the hot rock, transporting heat to the surface for generating the electricity.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As if that wasn’t confusing enough, not all Christians agree on what day of the calendar that specific Sunday is.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
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This was not to be confused with the Ulster Volunteer Force or the Ulster Defence Association, both terrorist organizations that vehemently favored the link with Britain.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Toxins build up and start to destroy the kidneys and liver.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Renowned for its beauty and ability to attract butterflies, butterfly bush (Buddleia) can spread quickly and outcompete and destroy native plants.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After the offense was shut out on four hits in Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss to the Angels, Counsell shuffled the lineup.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Meyerson was shuffled to three different ALFs in six months — from Hialeah to Kendall to Homestead.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Global oil supply has reduced by 13%, according to the IMF, while severe damage has been done to other critical supply chains.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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But government hunting programs and other efforts to reduce their numbers as the human population grew led to the local extinction, or extirpation, of the animals from California more than a century ago.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These clips spread rapidly online, reinforcing a perception that mobilization is coercive, disorganized, and unjust.—
David Kirichenko,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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The Cornhuskers got within three on a second-chance 3 by Braden Frager, but they were disorganized on the inbounds play, leaving Folgueiras unguarded near the rim.—
Kristie Rieken,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupt. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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