1
as in breaks
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 disturbs
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
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Recent Examples of disrupts
Experts warn that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel shocks can strain funding and disrupts field operations, hindering global conservation.
—
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Dyslexia is a learning difference that disrupts how the brain processes written language.
—Ann Bullock, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The war in Iran has been dubbed the biggest supply shock in the history of the global oil market by the International Energy Agency, as the choking off of Hormuz disrupts a fifth of global oil flows.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Fear of losing a job breaks the psychological contract and disrupts the rewards system between employee and boss, says De Witte.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Caused by intense emotional events, TTS is a rare, temporary condition that weakens the left ventricle and disrupts its normal pumping function.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Vietnam and South Korea signed a range of agreements spanning security, tech innovation and the development of nuclear power plants, underscoring deepening industrial ties as the Iran war disrupts energy markets and global supply chains.
—Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Bloomberg, 22 Apr. 2026
Crude oil also disrupts animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and ability to navigate, process input, and properly orient themselves in their environment.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 17 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Dyslexia is a learning difference that disrupts how the brain processes written language.
—Ann Bullock, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
The war in Iran has been dubbed the biggest supply shock in the history of the global oil market by the International Energy Agency, as the choking off of Hormuz disrupts a fifth of global oil flows.
—Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Fear of losing a job breaks the psychological contract and disrupts the rewards system between employee and boss, says De Witte.
—Claire Zillman, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Caused by intense emotional events, TTS is a rare, temporary condition that weakens the left ventricle and disrupts its normal pumping function.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Vietnam and South Korea signed a range of agreements spanning security, tech innovation and the development of nuclear power plants, underscoring deepening industrial ties as the Iran war disrupts energy markets and global supply chains.
—Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Bloomberg, 22 Apr. 2026
Crude oil also disrupts animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and ability to navigate, process input, and properly orient themselves in their environment.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupts
Verb
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The skyrocketing price of DRAM and NAND may be what finally breaks the streak despite strong Galaxy S26 sales.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
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So nothing breaks, but the system behind it changes.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
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There are lots of things weightlessness disturbs, even in the short run.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Levine Cava said the Kelly Tractor project destroys too many wetlands and bypasses county rules on approving development proposed outside Miami-Dade’s Urban Development Boundary.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The novel begins with a deadly fire that destroys two tenements.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The low-performing chefs are Rhoda, whose lamb confuses the kids; Sherry, whose grits were oddly flavored; and Oscar, whose puff pastry soaked up all the deep-fryer oil.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2026
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Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy Go somewhere that confuses your algorithm.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Asking them to leapfrog to low-carbon pathways while denying them finance, technology, and infrastructure undermines trust and fractures global cooperation—the very cooperation climate action depends on.—
Damilola Ogunbiyi,
Time,
19 Mar. 2026
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South America fractures into a puzzle of fjords and channels at the southernmost tip of the continent, the Brunswick Peninsula, in Chile’s Magallanes Region, where the future park will protect temperate rainforests, shrublands, and vast carbon-capturing peat bogs.—
Mark Johanson,
Outside,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tristan returns home and greets James while Siegfried shuffles the woman out the window.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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That is not unique — Major League Baseball’s offseason shuffles along at a deliberate pace, just as the Dodgers historically have liked.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This single habit dramatically reduces soap scum, the same buildup that makes tile floors dangerously slippery.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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This reduces their effectiveness, slowing down your machine and causing long-term damage.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But shortly thereafter, its nucleus fragments and quickly disintegrates.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The café disintegrates, white-peach mimosas lost forever.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disrupts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupts. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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