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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of disrupts
Crude oil also disrupts animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and ability to navigate, process input, and properly orient themselves in their environment.
—
Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 17 Apr. 2026
Imanol Arias stars as Felix, a serial killer who is released from prison and disrupts the life of his psychologist daughter.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
The trading push comes as the Middle East war disrupts commodity flows and drives up costs across global supply chains.
—Lee Ying Shan,emily Tan, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The seven-week conflict has jolted the global economy, with oil prices skyrocketing as the blockade disrupts vital shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
—Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Solar flares, intense bursts of energy in the sun's atmosphere, can trigger radio blackouts on Earth by increasing ionization in the upper atmosphere, which disrupts radio signals.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The worms don’t pose a health threat to your pet, but spotting and removing them could help slow the spread of a species that disrupts the small creatures keeping your garden soil healthy.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
The move is among the most significant delay tactics available in the legislature, which runs on tradition and an ironclad 120-day timeline; triggering it this week disrupts the legislature’s budget marathon.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 17 Apr. 2026
Imanol Arias stars as Felix, a serial killer who is released from prison and disrupts the life of his psychologist daughter.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
The trading push comes as the Middle East war disrupts commodity flows and drives up costs across global supply chains.
—Lee Ying Shan,emily Tan, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
The seven-week conflict has jolted the global economy, with oil prices skyrocketing as the blockade disrupts vital shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
—Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Solar flares, intense bursts of energy in the sun's atmosphere, can trigger radio blackouts on Earth by increasing ionization in the upper atmosphere, which disrupts radio signals.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The worms don’t pose a health threat to your pet, but spotting and removing them could help slow the spread of a species that disrupts the small creatures keeping your garden soil healthy.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
The move is among the most significant delay tactics available in the legislature, which runs on tradition and an ironclad 120-day timeline; triggering it this week disrupts the legislature’s budget marathon.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
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Ultrawealthy buyers increasingly bypass the open market, instead joining developers’ private waitlists months or years in advance before a home even breaks ground.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Nel ignores the concern of her sister (Maja Michnacka) and breaks a date with her ex (Agata Trzebuchowska) to hang with Bethany instead.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Leo moon disturbs unconscious patterns that are ready to be interrupted.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Removing nodules from the ocean floor disturbs the silty seabed that's home to many organisms, like worms and small crustaceans, the scientists found.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For those who know the play well, some of Mantello’s choices are most striking, especially the horror here of the famous hotel-room scene with a tawdry lover (brutally played by Katherine Romans), an act born of loneliness that destroys a father’s relationship with his son forever.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, affects more than 6 million Americans, most of them age 65 or older.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The low-performing chefs are Rhoda, whose lamb confuses the kids; Sherry, whose grits were oddly flavored; and Oscar, whose puff pastry soaked up all the deep-fryer oil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
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Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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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
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Animal advocates have long pushed the city to legalize TNR, saying the practice reduces unwarranted litters, euthanasia and shelter intake while improving the health of feral cats.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
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There’s also a sliding divider that provides a privacy barrier from the aisle and, according to the manufacturer, reduces noise from the galley and bathroom.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But shortly thereafter, its nucleus fragments and quickly disintegrates.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The café disintegrates, white-peach mimosas lost forever.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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