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
Once Hughes plays the ball towards Lacroix, Mateta (red) disrupts City’s central zonal defender, Ruben Dias, and the rest of the Palace attackers diverge towards different zones inside the penalty area.
—
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
What Happens Next As AI disrupts the hiring process across different industries, Thompson anticipates more companies could pull back on hiring altogether.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Saltwater seeps into gardens, storms batter homes, and flooding disrupts daily life.
—Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
For instance, this could manifest as a sudden attraction that disrupts your conservative dating life or an unexpected expense that completely throws off your tidy budget.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Stay adaptable while Venus disrupts Uranus.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
If someone truly disrupts — won’t stop, drowns out others — escort them out and move on.
—Eric Preven, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Engaging in shift work disrupts the normal sunrise/sunset pattern that influences the circadian rhythm.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2025
Creating a hostile environment that disrupts the event or puts others at risk.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2025
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
What Happens Next As AI disrupts the hiring process across different industries, Thompson anticipates more companies could pull back on hiring altogether.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Saltwater seeps into gardens, storms batter homes, and flooding disrupts daily life.
—Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
For instance, this could manifest as a sudden attraction that disrupts your conservative dating life or an unexpected expense that completely throws off your tidy budget.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
Stay adaptable while Venus disrupts Uranus.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
If someone truly disrupts — won’t stop, drowns out others — escort them out and move on.
—Eric Preven, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Engaging in shift work disrupts the normal sunrise/sunset pattern that influences the circadian rhythm.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 19 Sep. 2025
Creating a hostile environment that disrupts the event or puts others at risk.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
-
Laughter from the crowd breaks the tension of what could have been understood as metaphor for Netanyahu’s actions.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
In an industrial kiln, these pellets reach temperatures of around 900 degrees Celsius, which breaks them down and releases pure CO2 gas.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Currently comprising more than 8,300 active satellites, the Starlink constellation also disturbs radio telescope observations.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
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
-
These newly aware companies’ high-speed trading of financial projects destroys the Earth itself, forcing humans to flee to the margins of the solar system.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Most of the time, a person’s immune system identifies and destroys these cells.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Typically caused by a sensitive immune system — which confuses innocuous bacteria for harmful pathogens — symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss, anemia, skin changes, arthritis and more.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The disinformation pushed by these types of influencers confuses audiences, leaves them less informed, and erodes trust in actual journalism.—
Taylor Lorenz,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
If the community fractures over which path to take, and no consensus emerges, adoption may be stalled.—
Korok Ray,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
Because global air travel shuffles millions of people around the world daily, an outbreak of a very contagious disease anywhere can become a threat everywhere.—
Amy E. Stambach,
The Conversation,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This coating reduces absorbency, causes discoloration, and can trap bacteria and odors.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
This robot vacuum reduces daily chores, keeping floors clean of dirt, dust, and pet hair with minimal effort.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Recruits typically come from deprived areas, and as Russia’s economy disintegrates in slow motion, the bonanza offered by the army looks increasingly appealing.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share