disperse

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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disperse differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of disperse are dispel, dissipate, and scatter. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

When can dispel be used instead of disperse?

Although the words dispel and disperse have much in common, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

When could dissipate be used to replace disperse?

The meanings of dissipate and disperse largely overlap; however, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

When would scatter be a good substitute for disperse?

The words scatter and disperse can be used in similar contexts, but scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disperse What’s different now is stark: Hamas, as a governing army, has been stripped of its capacity to rule—its battalions shattered, its ministries dismantled, and its command structure dispersed. Yonatan Touval, Time, 22 Aug. 2025 Rather than dispersing his massive collection, Tomlinson decided to relocate. Will McGough, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Havertz’s touches are dispersed across wider and deeper zones, reflecting his role as a link player who drops in to connect play. Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025 The camera captures the size of each ground, assuming the grounds are dispersed appropriately. Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • The Pacific Ocean remains somewhat active after Tropical Storm Juliette dissipated while the Atlantic is pretty calm for now, with only one tropical wave brewing.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025
  • That gives the storm enough time to move away or dissipate.
    Julie Mendes, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Canned chickpeas are then scattered on top for a hearty textural contrast.
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025
  • The prevailing mood is one of discovery, as Fringe-goers hope to glimpse the next Waller-Bridge in the medieval warrens of repurposed rooms and assembly halls scattered across the city.
    Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Since then, Chinese women have been working together online to investigate the channel – which has since been disbanded – and share tips on how to report its contents to authorities.
    CNN Staff 20 hr ago, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The remaining trio carried on briefly before disbanding for good a year later.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • It was abandoned after several children disappeared there.
    Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Again, the pattern held: the unhappiness hump has disappeared worldwide, suggesting this phenomena is not confined to the U.S. and U.K. but a global generational shift.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a married couple whose once-happy relationship dissolves into invective and hatred under the pressures of modern life.
    EW.com, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Conceived by Chesterman Design and Architecture in collaboration with artist-designer James McGrath, Southern Cross reinterprets tropical modernism through courtyards, verandas, and floating planes intended to dissolve the line between indoors and out.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • But Whitworth faded in the final round, shooting over par for the first time in the Open, and Bradley came from behind to win after a tense duel with Beth Daniel on the back nine.
    Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Equally, the allure of lying on a beach or touring the typical sights is fading.
    Duncan Madden, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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