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
Airlines around the world have been grappling with volatile oil markets as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supplies.
—
Rio Yamat, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Spilling kills ocean wildlife, fouls beaches and disrupts coastal economies.
—Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Bangladesh has launched fresh measures to curb energy consumption, cutting office hours and trimming public spending as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global fuel markets and strains power supply in the South Asian nation.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Old mattresses may not provide the support and comfort needed for a good night’s sleep, often leading to tossing and turning that ultimately disrupts your sleep.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The ResMed 2026 Global Sleep Survey surveyed 30,000 people across 13 markets and found that 80% of people in relationships say their partner disrupts their sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
The price of urea, a critical component in fertilizer, has spiked as the war disrupts these essential supply chains.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Iran war disrupts daily life The Iran war is disrupting daily life around the world as governments take action to blunt the impact of the energy crisis.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This month asks you to confront power dynamics head-on and redefine your boundaries, even if doing so disrupts the status quo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Rio Yamat, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Spilling kills ocean wildlife, fouls beaches and disrupts coastal economies.
—Kristen Monsell, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Bangladesh has launched fresh measures to curb energy consumption, cutting office hours and trimming public spending as conflict in the Middle East disrupts global fuel markets and strains power supply in the South Asian nation.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 3 Apr. 2026
Old mattresses may not provide the support and comfort needed for a good night’s sleep, often leading to tossing and turning that ultimately disrupts your sleep.
—Sharon Brandwein, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
The ResMed 2026 Global Sleep Survey surveyed 30,000 people across 13 markets and found that 80% of people in relationships say their partner disrupts their sleep.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
The price of urea, a critical component in fertilizer, has spiked as the war disrupts these essential supply chains.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
Iran war disrupts daily life The Iran war is disrupting daily life around the world as governments take action to blunt the impact of the energy crisis.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
This month asks you to confront power dynamics head-on and redefine your boundaries, even if doing so disrupts the status quo.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
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If the toilet breaks on the way to Mars, there is a non-zero chance the crew is dying.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Apr. 2026
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Her heart breaks for kids who were born with cameras in their faces or for kids shown in vulnerable moments.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
5 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
-
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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Rototilling also destroys earthworms and the critical beneficial microbes that interact with plant roots to keep them healthy.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Because scarring alopecia destroys the hair follicles, the resulting hair loss is permanent.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 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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Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
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Each option reduces overall productivity, cutting supplies of basic foods, feed for livestock and key ingredients used in a wide range of food products.—
Aya S. Chacar,
Fortune,
9 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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