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
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 disrupts
Wildlife relies on predictable patterns of darkness and light for migration, breeding and hunting, and artificial light disrupts those cycles.
—
Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But chronic stress disrupts that pattern.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 12 May 2026
Playfulness disrupts these rigid hierarchies.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Hundreds of commercial ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf as the conflict disrupts global oil and gas supplies, pushing fuel prices higher.
—Adam Schreck, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Their approach suppresses interference that normally disrupts signal quality during wide-angle scanning.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
In animals, research shows that light pollution disrupts a wide range of behaviors, including migration patterns, sleep–wake cycles and habitat development.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Dyslexia is a learning difference that disrupts how the brain processes written language.
—Ann Bullock, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
Residents say another invasive plant, Eichhornia crassipes, which floats on the water’s surface, has long been present in the lagoon and also disrupts fishing and transport, though its impact has been less sudden.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
But chronic stress disrupts that pattern.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 12 May 2026
Playfulness disrupts these rigid hierarchies.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Hundreds of commercial ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf as the conflict disrupts global oil and gas supplies, pushing fuel prices higher.
—Adam Schreck, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Their approach suppresses interference that normally disrupts signal quality during wide-angle scanning.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
In animals, research shows that light pollution disrupts a wide range of behaviors, including migration patterns, sleep–wake cycles and habitat development.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Dyslexia is a learning difference that disrupts how the brain processes written language.
—Ann Bullock, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
-
Anyone who breaks the rules could face a hefty fine.—
Briseida Holguin,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
-
The ride starts once the bull’s shoulder or hip breaks the plane of the gate, and then the rider will try and hold on for eight seconds.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
There are lots of things weightlessness disturbs, even in the short run.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After hundreds to thousands of years, the feeding black hole or neutron star falls into the stellar core and destroys it, creating a luminous emission.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Federal debt destroys wealth and impedes economic growth.—
Rose Evans
May 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Nobody ever confuses two white NASCAR drivers!—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
The odor masks the scent of animals' preferred vegetables and confuses insect pests, including aphids, carrot flies, cabbage worms and loopers, spider mites, thrips, and Japanese beetles.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Asking them to leapfrog to low-carbon pathways while denying them finance, technology, and infrastructure undermines trust and fractures global cooperation—the very cooperation climate action depends on.—
Damilola Ogunbiyi,
Time,
19 Mar. 2026
-
South America fractures into a puzzle of fjords and channels at the southernmost tip of the continent, the Brunswick Peninsula, in Chile’s Magallanes Region, where the future park will protect temperate rainforests, shrublands, and vast carbon-capturing peat bogs.—
Mark Johanson,
Outside,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The system enables closed-loop recycling, which extends material life cycles and reduces cotton emissions and pollution.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
-
Oatmeal's beta-glucan fiber helps curb hunger, supports weight loss, and reduces harmful visceral fat.—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
But shortly thereafter, its nucleus fragments and quickly disintegrates.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
