1
as in to break
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
an earthquake that had disrupted the elevated highway in several places
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to disturb
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
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Recent Examples of disrupt
Refined fuel markets, from jet fuel to diesel, have been disrupted.
—
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Read All About It New York officials urged commuters to work from home today as a strike by Long Island Rail Road workers threatens to disrupt travel for hundreds of thousands of riders.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 May 2026
These effects could disrupt your sleep.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 18 May 2026
The weather can disrupt flights.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Read All About It New York officials urged commuters to work from home today as a strike by Long Island Rail Road workers threatens to disrupt travel for hundreds of thousands of riders.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 18 May 2026
These effects could disrupt your sleep.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 18 May 2026
The weather can disrupt flights.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for disrupt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupt
Verb
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Yet both can break, rendering them oddly both permanent and fragile.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Trump now faces a break-the-glass moment to avoid gas prices from blowing past Biden-era records highs.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Instead of relying on a traditional metal antenna to capture a signal, the system uses lasers to monitor how incoming radio waves disturb the atoms.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
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Disrupting the possibility of cheerful solitude is both a stylistic and social shift, disturbing the film’s non-narrative serenity while depicting how dismantling the safety net displaces basic functions onto those least able to bear them.—
Vadim Rizov,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The fall broke his neck, fractured his skull, tore ligaments in his wrist, and collapsed his lungs, among other injuries.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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China’s objective is not to fracture the Western alliance outright, but to prevent the consolidation of a fully unified and enduring Western front.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Winners are chosen by a mix of votes from the two, translated into points by a system confusing even to Eurovision fans.—
Jill Lawless,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
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Cassidy complained Friday that the new primary system enacted last year was confusing voters by requiring them to ask for a partisan ballot instead of the previous all-party primary that had been in place.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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Covers personal property used to secure a loan as collateral if it's destroyed.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Women in America’s boardrooms made strides as corporations shuffled their mostly White and male lineups in the face of the historic pushback in 2020.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
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Tall soldiers in bearskin caps shuffled a few inches to the left, or right, to give the parade its proper visual proportions.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Eco effort The hotel employs single-stream recycling and green housekeeping practices, and also has a green roof ecosystem to reduce the building’s heat load.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
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New research suggests these medications, best known for managing diabetes and driving weight loss, may also reduce the severity of one of the most common and underdiagnosed sleep disorders in the country.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The total number of ADF militants in the DRC is unclear due to the organization’s loose and often disorganized nature.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
5 May 2026
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People who are disorganized across the board also exist.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupt. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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