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
On the lowest level, the light is bright enough to see the full page but dim enough not to disrupt other people.
—
Erin Mayer, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Compare that to today, when AI is scaled up specifically to disrupt and change things.
—Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Interestingly, the model predicts protein interactions and even forecasts which mutations will disrupt the communication between these vital molecules.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Thyroid, liver or kidney disease can also disrupt hormones in ways that encourage breast tissue growth.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Erin Mayer, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025
Compare that to today, when AI is scaled up specifically to disrupt and change things.
—Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
Interestingly, the model predicts protein interactions and even forecasts which mutations will disrupt the communication between these vital molecules.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
Thyroid, liver or kidney disease can also disrupt hormones in ways that encourage breast tissue growth.
—Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
-
The science author Stuart Clark notes that the concept was nonsensical to contemporary scientists, who assumed that magnetism could not break free from a magnet and that the Sun’s energy radiated equally across its surface.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
At the time of his arrest, Scott had an open warrant for skipping court in a 2022 burglary case, in which he was accused of breaking into his mother’s apartment building with two other men and stealing items including a ladder.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Conventional cleanup techniques often worsen the problem by disturbing soil structures and consuming large amounts of energy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There is trash and pollutants from the tourists and gravel has been mined from the area to make trekking routes for people, disturbing the places where females may have laid their eggs, researchers said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Surviving Mormonism fractures the church’s seemingly perfect veneer to expose the secrets that have been kept behind closed doors.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
-
After Operation Shovel, the alliance between the Kinahans and the Hutches fractured.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One of the higher-ups felt my title Stairway to Heaven would be confused with the 1939 movie of the same name.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Historically, people disguised themselves in mystical and mythical ensembles time of year in order to confuse ghosts and deter them from wreaking havoc; the Celts even carved faces into vegetables to keep the entities away from their food.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the largest ever built, was destroyed.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Russian air defense systems destroyed one drone heading for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday, according to Reuters.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The technology included corrupt automatic shuffling machines that read cards and predicted which player had the best hand.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
And after Paulsen’s five seasons in Washington, several of those Shanahan-tree coaches indeed shuffled Paulsen from building to building, staff to staff.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
October has seen 93 blank sailings, up from 58 in September, according to data from maritime research firm Drewry, with container capacity reduced by roughly 7 percent month over month.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Oct. 2025
-
By cutting the cost and complexity of closings, the company hopes to expand access to homeownership, reduce fraud, and help smaller regional title firms compete with national giants.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Team defense still appears disorganized, despite standout individual moments and performances.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Psychologists recognize four main styles of attachment: secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganized.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupt. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share