disassemble

verb

dis·​as·​sem·​ble ˌdis-ə-ˈsem-bəl 

disassembled; disassembling; disassembles

transitive verb

: to take apart

disassemble a watch

intransitive verb

1

: to come apart

the frame disassembles into sections

2

: disperse, scatter

the crowd began to disassemble

disassembly

ˌdis-ə-ˈsem-blē 

noun

Synonyms

• break down
• demount
• dismantle
• dismember
• dismount
• knock down
• strike
• take down

Examples of disassemble in a Sentence

The bookshelf disassembles for easy storage.

they had to disassemble the television set in order to replace the wiring

Recent Examples on the Web

The tank is easy to remove and fill, and the humidifier disassembles for thorough cleaning. —Miles Walls, People.com, 14 Dec. 2024

In Texas, Apple is testing a robot that can disassemble 200 iPhones per hour to aid in recycling. —Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024

By the end of October, most of the plant had been disassembled and carted away. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

So popular was the Crystal Palace that, instead of facing demolition after the exhibition ended, it was completely disassembled, moved and rebuilt in Sydenham Hill. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

disassemble

verb

dis·​as·​sem·​ble ˌdis-ə-ˈsem-bəl 

: to take apart

disassemble an engine

disassembly

-ˈsem-blē 

noun