dissolve

verb

di-ˈzälv How to pronounce dissolve (audio)
Definition of dissolvenext
1
as in to disappear
to cease to be visible as the mist dissolved in the morning sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disband
to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization the company formally dissolved three months after declaring bankruptcy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to abolish
to put an end to by formal action the king simply dissolved parliament

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole the clouds gradually dissolved, and the sun came out

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 dissolve On Earth, most of the carbon dioxide is dissolved in the oceans or locked away in rocks, such as limestone. — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 When cracks form, water dissolves calcium-rich material from the clasts, which then recrystallizes as calcium carbonate, sealing the fracture. — Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 11 July 2026 The easiest way to dissolve the sugar is to measure and boil the water in a kettle and add it to sugar in a bowl. — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026 Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, doesn’t dissolve in water. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissolve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissolve
  1. disappear
  2. disband
  3. abolish
  4. dissipate
  5. vanish
  6. repeal
  7. disperse
  8. fade
Verb
  • Khalra’s investigation alleged that thousands of people who had disappeared were cremated anonymously by police without informing their families or maintaining official records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Bond has always been an intriguing vessel; by design, the spy is detached and isolated, a character who can disappear into the shadows and emerge totally fixated on a new mission with his past loves and losses brushed off with ease.
    — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of disappear
Verb
  • After the Ballet Russe disbanded, Monson de Kansky toured with the Marquis de Cuevas ballet company for nine years.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
  • The same was true of John Ferreira, the incredibly hard-working FBI special agent who kept the investigation going years after the ELF had disbanded.
    — Greg Hanlon, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Definition of disband
Verb
  • Lisa Walker-Yeager Lisa Walker-Yeager is running a campaign focused on abolishing or significantly reducing the property tax burden that residents, particularly senior citizens, have at a time when most goods and services are more expensive.
    — Sofi Zeman July 16, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026
  • Polling found that support for abolishing ICE surged even among Republicans after the killing of the 37-year-old ICU nurse.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • In front of a predominantly Brazilian crowd and with the haze of a pre-match pyrotechnic display still dissipating, Norway seemed to leap out to a lead in the first few minutes with a goal by Patrick Berg, but it was quickly ruled offside.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • The Gen5 version adds vapor chamber cooling to dissipate heat more effectively during intensive workloads.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of dissipate
Verb
  • The goal is to incorporate acoustic dampening and fully transparent materials to make the drone truly vanish.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026
  • For many years, patients were told products like Juvéderm or Restylane would metabolize and vanish in six to 18 months.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Definition of vanish
Verb
  • Its sales tax holiday was officially repealed in 2024, and the state has not held a tax-free holiday since.
    — Courtney Johnston, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026
  • Growing concerns around the risks of social media to young people have reignited a discussion on and around Capitol Hill about whether Section 230 should be reformed or repealed.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of repeal
Verb
  • In the option pits, the crowd has gathered but hasn't dispersed.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • The Iranian regime doubled down, employing lethal force to disperse demonstrators.
    — Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of disperse
Verb
  • Most of Future’s peers in the post-Lil Wayne digital-trap era of the early 2010s, from fellow Atlanta stars Young Thug and 2 Chainz to Southern boldfaced names like Kodak Black and Kevin Gates, have faded back into the regional-rap morass.
    — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
  • Each song explores a different kind of longing—lovers come together but fall apart, dreams fade away only to have resolutions renewed—against a different strain of soul.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of fade

Browse Nearby Words

dissolutions
dissolve
dissolved
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissolve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissolve. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dissolve

Nglish: Translation of dissolve for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All