dissipate 1 of 2

dissipate

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dissipate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dissipate are dispel, disperse, and scatter. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

When could dispel be used to replace dissipate?

In some situations, the words dispel and dissipate are roughly equivalent. However, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

When might disperse be a better fit than dissipate?

The synonyms disperse and dissipate are sometimes interchangeable, but disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

When can scatter be used instead of dissipate?

While the synonyms scatter and dissipate are close in meaning, scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

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 dissipate
Verb
This band is expected to dissipate in the next 1-2 hours, but locations could receive up to another tenth of an inch of rain. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025 Traditional weddings are gradually dissipating, with a clear generational divide. Alex Backus, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 While tensions don't exactly appear to be dissipating, these talks are the first sign that the trade rivals could reach a resolution after Trump raised tariffs on some Chinese imports as high as 145 percent. Ashley Belanger – May 7, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2025 The fluoride should then dissipate from OUC’s water system within 72 hours. Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for dissipate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissipate
Verb
  • Neighboring municipalities were notified and provided immediate mutual aid to the Edison Police Department to disperse the crowd.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • But after the sun went down and the spectators dispersed, the winds changed, violently scattering the balloons around Normandy and across the English Channel into England.
    Joseph Howlett, Quanta Magazine, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • In their 1995 trial, jewelry sales representative Mary Ellen Mahar testified that the brothers had come to her store just four days after the killings and spent about $15,000 on three Rolex watches.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2025
  • Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon’s list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent.
    Sam Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • The film is also an introspective interrogation of Cruise's stardom, confronting its main character with uncomfortable realities: his world is artificial, insulated, and fleeting, and his multimillion-dollar good looks could disappear in an instant.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
  • Plaza plays a cop who Qualley has a passionate love affair with until things turn sour when her niece disappears.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • Who is a time waster and who is your next biggest client?
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • For example, default settings for focus time added blocking of sites in the categories Shopping, Tabloids, and Time wasters.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Rosado, 52, is an urban planner and former North Bay Village manager who previously ran for the District 4 seat in 2017, losing to Reyes.
    Tess Riski, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
  • Water depth - The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • The Imperial Senate is dissolved The Emperor dissolves the Senate, the last functioning remnant of the Republic, and moves to centralize powers under the planetary governors.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
  • Alice was eventually released in 1932, but the family had dissolved.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Finally, the claimant failed to prove that the spendthrift provision in the trust, which is critical to the protection the trust provided, should be invalidated.
    Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • That is often viewed by us profligate, protein-burning, fat-loving energy spendthrifts as an inferior form of metabolism.
    Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, the glamour faded soon after the team docked in Manhattan.
    Andy Mitten, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • That faded, and Maresca’s task will be maintaining the charge next season.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissipate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissipate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dissipate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!