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
Even as Covid-19 disrupted global travel, the length of operational high-speed lines jumped by 40% between 2020 and 2022, from 27,300 to 36,580 miles — most of it in China.
—
Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
For offshore wind in particular, the construction of the wind turbines can disrupt fishing and breeding grounds.
—Bridget Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
The spokesperson added that the strike is designed to disrupt the lives of patients.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
The partnership comes as wildfires across the globe become larger and more destructive, damaging homes, businesses and other buildings while also disrupting power.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
For offshore wind in particular, the construction of the wind turbines can disrupt fishing and breeding grounds.
—Bridget Shirvell, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
The spokesperson added that the strike is designed to disrupt the lives of patients.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
The partnership comes as wildfires across the globe become larger and more destructive, damaging homes, businesses and other buildings while also disrupting power.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
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Why the operating assumptions remain fixed even when leaders recognize they're broken.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In a letter to the court, one woman said surgeons installed a metal plate in her arm, which was broken by a bullet.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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According to Wohlfeil, some witnesses knew the horse was seriously hurt, including an on-site veterinarian who saw the incident and assumed — correctly — that the animal had fractured its cervical spine.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
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The 35-year-old Altuve sat out the first two months of the 2023 season after fracturing his right thumb in the last World Baseball Classic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Transparency Without Predictability Feels Like an Excuse Don’t confuse transparency with honesty.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Last summer, Noemi Rios of Dallas started the grassroots organization Vecinos Unidos to advise immigrants of their rights and to identify people who may be confused by or scared of the system.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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The downstairs staffs of the richest and noblest families start to shuffle around so chaotically that even Lady Whistledown takes notice of in her column.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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The videos showed Chicago kissing and hugging a sable-furred puppy in the family's living room while Psalm shuffled around on his hands and knees trying to chase one of the dark-haired dogs around the room.—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This comes at a time when there has been talk of reducing the number of PGA tournaments on the calendar.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The cross-border clearing platform could streamline operations, reducing risks in OTC trades that dominate the market.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 1 Feb. 2026.
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