1
as in dissipating
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 scattering
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 dissolving
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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Recent Examples of dispersing
Brushing prevents matting, promotes a healthy coat by dispersing natural oils and removes dead hair.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025
The owners need to introduce a creative concept that will prove there’s a more equitable way of dispersing revenue among the players than the current system.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
With a steel and wooden lifeboat available, both were filled and lowered, but the steel life boat immediately overturned, dispersing those who were in it across the choppy waters.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In the clip, each member of the cast can be seen rallying together to put an end to things, before dispersing across their homes, school, hospital, and elsewhere to make quick work in hopes of surviving.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2025
Wolves have since returned to the state on their own, dispersing from packs in Oregon and spreading as far south as the southern end of the Sierra Nevada.
—NPR, 26 Oct. 2025
While the initial version of the material was ineffective at dispersing radar waves, researchers enhanced its electromagnetic properties using a subtractive laser patterning process.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
The incident occurred as demonstrators were dispersing near 801 James Madison Highway and crossing a business parking lot, according to the Culpeper Police Department.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Many others have also left quietly, dispersing across continents, carrying stories like mine.
—Sonny Alejandra, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersing
Verb
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The fog will likely linger through the early morning hours before dissipating by 9 am.—
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However, chlorine evaporates when exposed to air, often dissipating in one to five days.—
Verb
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The van stopped, shifted into reverse and accelerated, scattering some protesters, then drove north on Prospect Street.—
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To address the issue, the team used neutron scattering techniques at the High Intensity Diffractometer for Residual Stress Analysis (HIDRA), located at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR).—
Verb
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To fully understand that, let’s cue the dissolving mist and go back in time just a bit, when the Panthers acquired two notable rookie wide receivers in the spring of 2024.—
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Personally, as an adult reader of mostly literary fiction—but one raised on fantasy—these books come close to bringing me that childhood thrill of dissolving into another universe.—
Verb
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Industry executives say the shift reflects changing consumer habits, not disappearing demand.—
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America’s doctors are rapidly disappearing into hospital systems.—
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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The American Independence Party of George Wallace did a little better in 1968, carrying five states and 46 electoral votes before disbanding nationally, even though a California affiliate remains as a minor party.—
Verb
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But her role as fading movie star Kay Stone in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, opposite Timothée Chalamet, marks her grand return.—
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The days of underground stashes and whispered conversations are fading fast.—
Cite this Entry
“Dispersing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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