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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disrupts
Recent weather extremes in the South and East are examples of what global warming can cause — a warmer Arctic that disrupts the polar vortex and pushes cold weather and snow farther south.
—
Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Bad Bunny disrupts this pattern by refusing separation between cultural celebration and political truth.
—Dr. Carlos A Torre, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS ACCESS DENIED – SpaceX CEO Elon Musk disrupts Russian operations in Ukraine with single move.
—FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Hovering over desks or listening in on private conversations makes the workplace feel intrusive and disrupts workers’ sense of privacy and comfort.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Daylight saving time disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to increase risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, the organization said.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, disrupts decision-making and alters the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Depriving children and young adults of social contact, structure, and meaningful engagement disrupts emotional regulation, impulse control, and decision-making, causing harm that can follow them long after release.
—Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Adelie and chinstrap penguins face potential extinction from the Antarctic Peninsula by century’s end as climate change disrupts the timing of their food supply.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Bad Bunny disrupts this pattern by refusing separation between cultural celebration and political truth.
—Dr. Carlos A Torre, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … POLITICS ACCESS DENIED – SpaceX CEO Elon Musk disrupts Russian operations in Ukraine with single move.
—FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
Hovering over desks or listening in on private conversations makes the workplace feel intrusive and disrupts workers’ sense of privacy and comfort.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Daylight saving time disrupts the natural circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to increase risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, the organization said.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 28 Jan. 2026
On the other hand, chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, disrupts decision-making and alters the hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
Depriving children and young adults of social contact, structure, and meaningful engagement disrupts emotional regulation, impulse control, and decision-making, causing harm that can follow them long after release.
—Gladys Carrión, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Adelie and chinstrap penguins face potential extinction from the Antarctic Peninsula by century’s end as climate change disrupts the timing of their food supply.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
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This can lead to flash flooding in upstream areas within minutes, while areas downstream might see water levels drop suddenly until the jam breaks.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Greenson breaks into Monroe's bedroom and finds the 36-year-old movie star lying naked, lifeless, face down on her bed, still clutching the telephone receiver.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What really disturbs professionals is the FDA’s injection of inconsistency into its reviews of drug applications.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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By cross-pollinating different groups of thinkers, Seth disturbs the pattern-completion machinery of each mind, clearing the ground for alternative insights to land.—
Rachel Barr,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And God does and kills everybody and destroys everything.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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His stance joins a bipartisan chorus, including GOP leaders and Governor Shapiro, warning that inciting violence against Jewish neighbors destroys the path toward peace.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
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Where the Roma obscured the line between a classic grand tourer and a sports car with supercar tendencies, the Amalfi confuses things further.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash As the Flynn family fractures under the strain of a failing open marriage and three daughters spiraling into dangerous secrets, their small coastal town is quietly dominated by a powerful shipping magnate no one dares to question.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
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Despite the victory, the partnership fractures off the ice.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
22 Jan. 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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This abundance reduces material costs and supply chain risks.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
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Removing whey from yogurt reduces the amount of carbs and sugar and concentrates more protein per ounce as a result.—
Kristen Gasnick,
Verywell Health,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the American state disintegrates, future postmortems are unlikely to focus much on measles, or on rotavirus vaccination rates.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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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,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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