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
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 disrupt
Some residents and town officials are concerned that the project will have environmental impacts, including temporarily disrupting use of the popular trail.
—
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
Good morning to everyone except for the lowest forms of trolls, sick people and outside forces attempting to disrupt our newsletter.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Cancer can also disrupt your life, including your career and relationships.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2026
Recording doesn’t give you the right to block, delay, or disrupt an arrest.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
Good morning to everyone except for the lowest forms of trolls, sick people and outside forces attempting to disrupt our newsletter.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Cancer can also disrupt your life, including your career and relationships.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2026
Recording doesn’t give you the right to block, delay, or disrupt an arrest.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
-
Joanna Gaines and Sydney Sweeney were even ahead of the game and broke theirs out back in October and November, respectively.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
This can break the pathways that allow fire to spread from one structure to the next.—
Amanda Hari,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He was also disturbed by the 2016 murder of Labour parliamentarian Jo Cox by a far-right figure associated with neo-Nazi groups who had been radicalized online.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Jan. 2026
-
But then Detective Nathanial Saint shows up carrying disturbing news and an even more unexpected jolt of creativity.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Winning slates sometimes fracture in office.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
10 Jan. 2026
-
That confidence began to fracture long before today's headlines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The 40-year-old cooks up ways to make quarterbacks miserable in his sleep, devising schemes that are meant to lure as much as they are intended to confuse.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Canales-Pelaez said that local departments may be confusing administrative warrants with criminal ones, or overcomplying to avoid backlash from the state Legislature.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But the Red Sox destroyed and ended their relationship with their only true power hitter and proven winner for a player who, though an undeniably excellent addition, was here for 117 total games.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
-
In the Pacific Palisades and nearby Malibu, flames burned for 31 days, scorching 37 square miles and destroying more than 6,000 structures, most of them homes.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The unit was constantly shuffled this season, and the Trojans deployed six different offensive line combinations while still managing to have one of the most efficient offenses in the Big Ten Conference under position coach Zach Hanson.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
During his January 2025 State of the State address, Little called for tax cuts that could reduce the state’s general fund by about $100 million.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
-
To reduce sizes, builders are going back to open floor plans with fewer hallways.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Most oppositions in competitive authoritarian regimes are fragmented and disorganized: in Hungary, for example, the opposition to Orban was split between the weak and discredited Socialist Party and the far-right Jobbik, which allowed Orban’s Fidesz party to coast to victories in 2014 and 2018.—
Steven Levitsky,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The Four Main Attachment Styles The four main attachment styles are: secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganized.—
Emily Shiffer,
Parents,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupt. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
