DISRUPTS Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

disrupts

verb

present tense third-person singular of disrupt

as in breaks

to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly an earthquake that had disrupted the elevated highway in several places

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 The capability could prove useful during missions where electronic warfare disrupts conventional navigation systems. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 Sleep and health researchers say moving clocks twice a year disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and other biological functions. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026 Salt, like vinegar, also disrupts plant cell growth and dries out plant tissues. — The Spruce, 6 Aug. 2026 The pipeline has played a key role in moving Saudi oil exports to market as Iran disrupts the Strait of Hormuz with attacks on tankers. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 30 July 2026 The election law, enacted in July last year by the previous military government, imposes punishments of up to the death penalty for anyone who opposes or disrupts elections. — ABC News, 29 July 2026 Travelers at Miami International Airport on Wednesday are facing cancellations and delays as fallout from an American Airlines shutdown disrupts flight schedules. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 When an outside outlet disrupts the arrangement, the insider rushes out the news, preserves his reputation and continues receiving information from the same sources. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 Plans for their last year of high school falter when Robert Mallory, a mysterious new student played by Homer Gere, comes into town and disrupts the group’s dynamic. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts

Verb

Advertisement If a cat bite breaks the skin, wash it immediately with soap and running water and see a medical provider, Steury says.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
The consumer will crack one day, because cycles always turn, and the first-principles truth is that credit rarely breaks where the last crisis trained us to look.

— Nigel Morris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of breaks

Verb

Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 June 2026
The pier in Michigan City’s Washington Park disturbs the natural flow of sand along the lakeshore, creating new land east of the pier but starving beaches to the west, an erosion problem repeated by other manmade structures that jut out into Lake Michigan.

— Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026

Definition of disturbs

Verb

T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.

— William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroys

Verb

Any adversary who confuses media noise with American weakness will discover the truth the hard way.

— Michael Loria, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026

Definition of confuses

Verb

But news of her grandmother’s possible death fractures the journey, drawing Adela into childhood memories, family silences and fantastical visions.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
The elder, Alamagan, attempts to resolve the conflict through customary law and religious counsel, but the absence of truth fractures the community.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of fractures

Verb

On a cloudy-white Sunday morning in June, Joey Phelps shuffles into the familiar back pew of Yeakley Chapel, the small Methodist church that has been a part of his life for nearly 50 years.

— Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 5 July 2026
As though on cue, Wardrobe — my beloved, and giant, closet — shuffles over from the corner of my room, the mahogany wood groaning with the effort.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Definition of shuffles

Verb

This eliminates manual handoffs, reduces errors and ensures cash flow is tracked from the first quote, not after the fact.

— Ashish Srimal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Swapping every other drink for a non-alcoholic option reduces total consumption and creates longer gaps between servings.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduces

Verb

Even those who can afford to stay suffer losses in home equity and lifestyle as the community around them disintegrates or disappears.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 12 June 2026
None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place.

— Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026