variants
also disfunction
as in disease
impaired or abnormal functioning (as of a body part)
She's suffered from minor brain dysfunction since the accident.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dysfunction
The lack of organization for the February meeting is the latest sign of what critics see as broader dysfunction at the agency.
—
Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Over the past decade, despite relentless warnings about dysfunction and decline, businesses continued to earn money.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
The main issue facing Tarrant County is partisan dysfunction, preventing us from addressing critical needs.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Without prioritizing muscle health that helps combat the metabolic effects of lower estrogen, women are more prone to metabolic dysfunction.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 18 Feb. 2026
Over the past decade, despite relentless warnings about dysfunction and decline, businesses continued to earn money.
—Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
The main issue facing Tarrant County is partisan dysfunction, preventing us from addressing critical needs.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Without prioritizing muscle health that helps combat the metabolic effects of lower estrogen, women are more prone to metabolic dysfunction.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
-
Used since the 1950s to make consumer products nonstick, oil- and water-repellent, and resistant to temperature change, PFAS chemicals have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer, fertility issues, high cholesterol, hormone disruption, liver damage, obesity and thyroid disease.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The risk is higher in some people, such as smokers older than 35 or those who have multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors.—
ALI SWENSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nick has battled substance abuse since adolescence and reportedly suffers from schizoaffective disorder, which resulted in a mental health conservatorship for over a year, ending in 2021.—
New York Daily News,
Boston Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Social media addiction is not recognized as an official disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the standard reference psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners use to assess and treat patients.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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