1
as in breaks
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 disturbs
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 disrupts
Elizalde’s model at Viva disrupts the way business has been done in the past.
—
Karen Idelson, Variety, 16 June 2026
Papercut disrupts that, if only momentarily.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 16 June 2026
In their letter, the senators cited the approaching El Niño — a periodic Pacific warming that disrupts weather patterns and supercharges marine heat waves — as evidence the cuts are particularly ill timed.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Immigration enforcement disrupts access to these healthcare services.
—Jallicia Jolly, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
According to Harvard Health, travel disrupts the body’s natural rhythms — time changes, altered eating schedules, poor sleep — which upsets digestion, especially in people with already-sensitive guts.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
These toxins interfere with communication between nerves and muscles, which disrupts the transmission of signals required for normal movement in turn.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Cypermethrin disrupts thyroid hormones, which are critical to brain development.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Eating quickly disrupts this process, leaving more carbohydrates to be broken down in the stomach and gut, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 June 2026
Karen Idelson, Variety, 16 June 2026
Papercut disrupts that, if only momentarily.
—Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 16 June 2026
In their letter, the senators cited the approaching El Niño — a periodic Pacific warming that disrupts weather patterns and supercharges marine heat waves — as evidence the cuts are particularly ill timed.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Immigration enforcement disrupts access to these healthcare services.
—Jallicia Jolly, The Conversation, 15 June 2026
According to Harvard Health, travel disrupts the body’s natural rhythms — time changes, altered eating schedules, poor sleep — which upsets digestion, especially in people with already-sensitive guts.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
These toxins interfere with communication between nerves and muscles, which disrupts the transmission of signals required for normal movement in turn.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Cypermethrin disrupts thyroid hormones, which are critical to brain development.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
Eating quickly disrupts this process, leaving more carbohydrates to be broken down in the stomach and gut, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
-
The dam breaks, and Regina splits into laughter at Jobim’s deadpan devolution into nonsense.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
13 June 2026
-
Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
-
Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Standard recycling destroys the whole part just to clean it.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
The mechanism is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, abundant in bananas, which destroys flavanols both during blending and inside the stomach.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
There is a version of leadership that confuses visibility with impact, equating big initiatives and dramatic turnarounds with strong leadership.—
Monica Cutia,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The whole concept of toxic fandom confuses me because, outside of the anger and backwards thinking, because who cares about a movie franchise that much?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Over one tense weekend, old patterns and buried wounds surface in front of in-laws and guests, until the celebration fractures into a collision.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
And Mary’s electric, palpably physical pursuit of justice becomes even more crucial in the final act, after a grotesque display of performative mockery toward Māori culture fractures the last remnants of civility present amid one of Cole’s lavish-yet-repulsive gatherings.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
At the sound of morning prayers, an older Clarissa awakens from this dream and shuffles out to her lawn, where the leafy bush has been replaced with the industrial skyline of Lagos.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This degrades your brake system’s stopping power, which reduces the overall safety of your vehicle.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
While magnesium may support a healthy heart, there is no clear evidence that taking magnesium supplements reduces your risk of heart disease or regulates your blood pressure.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
-
Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears.—
Zac Taylor,
The Conversation,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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