1
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole
the crowd dispersed once the show ended
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to scatter
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart
the family of the missing woman dispersed searchers to all corners of the national park
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disband
to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization
the campaign staff dispersed almost immediately after the election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disperse
In a video posted on the organization’s site, which was verified by NBC News, a crowd disperses quickly as multiple gunshots ring out and a handful of men return to pick up a man bleeding from a head wound.
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Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
The most satisfying moments come when all the chaotic ephemera disperses to make space for shimmering, ambient chords.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
These assessments use detailed data on the quantity of emissions coming from each facility, the toxicity of each chemical and other information on how the chemicals are released and dispersed in the air.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 Jan. 2026
Authorities later fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
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If a kid understands the reason for the discrepancy, research seems to prove that the negative effects dissipate.—
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The fog will likely linger through the early morning hours before dissipating by 9 am.—
Verb
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Accessibility Unfortunately, the property is not particularly accessibility friendly; its rooms and villas are scattered around steep hillside.—
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Farther south, more stormwater treatment areas, 97 square miles of them in all, are scattered between the sugarcane and vegetable fields that make the EAA among the most bountiful regions in the nation and the fragile Everglades.—
Verb
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The nonprofit institution that provided significant funding for PBS and NPR is disbanding after nearly 60 years in operation.—
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Perhaps the biggest mistake made in the aftermath of our 2003 invasion of Iraq was to disband the Iraqi Army before another force was ready to maintain order.—
Verb
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That small body swathed like a mummy, our blind flight over the treetops, the prospect of disappearing in the middle of the jungle without a trace—all this converged to focus a singular intensity on the moment.—
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Last month, at least 16 files on the Department of Justice’s webpage that contained files on Epstein were reportedly found to have disappeared from its website, according to The Associated Press.—
Verb
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Bouillon cubes dissolved in white wine and milk lend an incredibly savory flavor, which is accompanied by Parmesan and pepper.—
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This idea animates every encounter between Ma and Boomba until the distinction between good and bad, right and wrong, begins to dissolve.—
Verb
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The California Association of Realtors also predicts that, as economic uncertainty fades and rates begin to decline more steadily, the housing market should improve throughout 2026.—
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As human activity and food waste returned, those differences appeared to fade in later generations.—
Cite this Entry
“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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