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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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 These grants, which had been awarded but not necessarily dispersed, represented $1,227,500 that the NEA had promised to 51 independent publishers. Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 13 June 2025 The charges include failure to disperse, looting, arson and attacks on police officers. Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 12 June 2025 Scientists are still searching for answers about how Y. pestis evolved and dispersed, but recent analysis of ancient and modern Y. pestis samples revealed how plague managed to persist among humans for hundreds of years after pandemic waves petered out. Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 Impact grants now allow up to $20,000 to be dispersed per business. Erin Yarnall, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • Outdoor allergens don’t just dissipate after the early months of spring; in fact, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, many allergy symptoms can actually worsen from summer to fall because grasses are the most common trigger for hay fever.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 June 2025
  • The deployment of additional soldiers was ordered despite the fact that demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement raids across the city have largely dissipated.
    Erin Doherty, CNBC, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Art is scattered throughout, selected by Austrian gallerist and Benan’s friend Thaddaeus Ropac, who picked sculptures by Erwin Wurm for the windows and Not Vital artworks to hang on walls throughout the boutique.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 June 2025
  • Whistles and boos met Chelsea possessions and when Pedro Neto scored the opening goal for the Blues in the 13th minute, the cheers from the blue end of the field were overtaken by the screams of rebuttal from the Flamengo fans scattered around this massive stadium.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The result is not only the loss of valuable research but also a profound disruption to the scientific enterprise itself—students without funding, labs disbanded, data lost.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • The latest effort to close the camp came as cities across the Bay Area, including Oakland and San Jose, have ramped up sweeps following a U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer giving local governments broader authority to disband camps even when shelter beds aren’t available.
    Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • When Solutions acquired the property for program participants, crime disappeared.
    Paul C Webster, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025
  • But over the last few decades many have disappeared.
    Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Since Macron dissolved the French National Assembly, the CAC 40 index has slipped 4%.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • Library officials claimed this was done as part of the normal weeding process, though that doesn’t explain why the library board was dissolved and a new one created with the complainers as members that tried to close all the library branches.
    Anthony Aycock June 17, Literary Hub, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Despite the metaverse hype having faded, Infinite Reality shows that investor belief in immersive environments remains, especially when linked to creator infrastructure or enterprise applications. 4.
    Elena Volotovskaya, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • When McBride isn’t answering the director’s questions and when Joynt is able to fade into the background, the documentary, which asserts little visual style other than fly-on-the-wall presence, is able to witness moments that showcase the unguarded McBride.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.

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