dislocate
verb
dis·lo·cate
ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt 
-lə-;
(ˌ)dis-ˈlō-
dislocated; dislocating; dislocates
1
: to put out of place
specifically
: to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2
: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt
Examples of dislocate in a Sentence
She fell and dislocated her shoulder.
The new hotel will dislocate several businesses.
Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Second-year receiver Xavier Worthy, expected to step up as Mahomes’ top wideout while Rashee Rice serves a six-game suspension, dislocated his shoulder on the third snap of the season.
—
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This could include fixing any fractures, moving bones that are dislocated back into place or repairing torn ligaments.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Just three plays into the Chiefs’ opening season 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Friday in Brazil, tight end Travis Kelce inadvertently collided with Worthy, dislocating the receiver’s shoulder.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Zingle completed the stage despite dislocating his shoulder, but Visma said their medical team had deemed him not fit enough to continue the tour.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dislocate
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Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2025
This could include fixing any fractures, moving bones that are dislocated back into place or repairing torn ligaments.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Just three plays into the Chiefs’ opening season 27-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Friday in Brazil, tight end Travis Kelce inadvertently collided with Worthy, dislocating the receiver’s shoulder.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Zingle completed the stage despite dislocating his shoulder, but Visma said their medical team had deemed him not fit enough to continue the tour.
—Ali Rampling, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dislocate
Cite this Entry
“Dislocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislocate. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dislocate
verb
dis·lo·cate
ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt
(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-
1
: to put out of place
especially
: to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2
: disrupt
Medical Definition
dislocate
transitive verb
dis·lo·cate
ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt
-lə-; (ˈ)dis-ˈlō-ˌkāt
-lə-; (ˈ)dis-ˈlō-ˌkāt
dislocated; dislocating
: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone
he dislocated his shoulder
also
: to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
the humerus was dislocated in the fall
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