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
Relevance
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
As artificial intelligence disrupts software and traditional tech cycles, many VCs are being forced to rethink their investment theses.
—
Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
His ability to reset the line of scrimmage with power, find the football and then get hands on the ball carrier consistently disrupts opposing game plans.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Variety‘s Jazz Tangcay moderated the discussion with Castellani and Muritiba about their latest short project, which focuses on an encounter with an ICE officer that disrupts the romance between a Brazilian immigrant (Castellani) and an aspiring writer (Cheyenne Jackson).
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Azure outage disrupts services at major brands A growing number of major companies are reporting service disruptions tied to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Cutting down trees disrupts the cycle, reducing rainfall and leading to drought.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The change also disrupts our internal systems that drive focus and productivity.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
That’s because, sadly, many bat populations have declined in recent years due to factors including habitat loss, wind turbines, and white nose syndrome (WNS), a devastating fungal disease which disrupts their natural hibernation cycles.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
How Microplastics Sneak Into Our Travel Routines Travel often disrupts our daily habits, and hydration is one of the first routines to change.
—Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
His ability to reset the line of scrimmage with power, find the football and then get hands on the ball carrier consistently disrupts opposing game plans.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
Variety‘s Jazz Tangcay moderated the discussion with Castellani and Muritiba about their latest short project, which focuses on an encounter with an ICE officer that disrupts the romance between a Brazilian immigrant (Castellani) and an aspiring writer (Cheyenne Jackson).
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Azure outage disrupts services at major brands A growing number of major companies are reporting service disruptions tied to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Cutting down trees disrupts the cycle, reducing rainfall and leading to drought.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The change also disrupts our internal systems that drive focus and productivity.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
That’s because, sadly, many bat populations have declined in recent years due to factors including habitat loss, wind turbines, and white nose syndrome (WNS), a devastating fungal disease which disrupts their natural hibernation cycles.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2025
How Microplastics Sneak Into Our Travel Routines Travel often disrupts our daily habits, and hydration is one of the first routines to change.
—Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
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Soon after, a desperate man named Boomba, who witnessed Ma stealing from the shelter, breaks into her home and swipes her food, her phone, and a purse containing her family’s invaluable travel documents.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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Director Dan Trachtenberg breaks it down for us.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Nov. 2025
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The movie follows a similar arc, with an additional subplot in which the creature destroys the city while under the influence of a powerful demon.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Longhorns’ roster build confuses me.—
The Athletic College Basketball Staff,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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At her spring show, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt brought back the style, but her shiny spandex stocking version ensures no one confuses the look for child’s play.—
Laia Garcia-Furtado,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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While a tiny fraction of the quake’s energy (less than 1%) fractures rocks, up to 80% of it is transformed into heat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s a solid dramatic question, but one that might’ve been more productive as an inciting incident, as too much of this low-budget drama shuffles around subjects that demand incisive action in 2025, effectively creating a subtle irony that undermines the film’s own point.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 Nov. 2025
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Gakpo is deeper, and Wirtz pushes forward as the central member of Liverpool’s forward line, while Ekitike shuffles across as the left of the trio.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This enables continuous charging and reduces the need for large onboard batteries.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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As a stocky playmaker who rarely sprints and often reduces the game to walking pace in an increasingly breakneck sport populated by iron men, Cherki’s timing of arrival into English football is where the dichotomy lies.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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While the missile could, in theory, bypass missile defenses, each test risks radioactive fallout if the reactor disintegrates during flight or on impact.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
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Ethan Hawke stars as Lorenz Hart of legendary songsmiths Rodgers & Hart as the prolific partnership disintegrates to his great dismay.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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