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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dispersing
The glass rear panel is highly reflective, dispersing glare in all directions.
—
Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The missiles are the largest of Iran’s submunition-dispersing arsenal.
—Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead of dispersing, the crowd pelted officers with snowballs, ice and, according to police union reports, rocks.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Meat becomes tender through gentle steaming, vegetables soften while holding their shape, and spices integrate directly into the ingredients rather than dispersing into a broth.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
The tortoise is a what is called a keystone species, dispersing seeds and helping to regenerate forests, so the hope is that its return will begin to push the island more closely toward its original ecological state.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
Bringing the country together, not dispersing it.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The crowd of students that had flooded into Klyde Warren Park was gradually dispersing; some returned to the classroom and others lingered around the greenery.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
But as the students were dispersing, a group rearranged the letters to spell the slur (using a number 6 to substitute for the letter G), according to Gutierrez.
—Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The missiles are the largest of Iran’s submunition-dispersing arsenal.
—Melanie Lidman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead of dispersing, the crowd pelted officers with snowballs, ice and, according to police union reports, rocks.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026
Meat becomes tender through gentle steaming, vegetables soften while holding their shape, and spices integrate directly into the ingredients rather than dispersing into a broth.
—Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026
The tortoise is a what is called a keystone species, dispersing seeds and helping to regenerate forests, so the hope is that its return will begin to push the island more closely toward its original ecological state.
—Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
Bringing the country together, not dispersing it.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
The crowd of students that had flooded into Klyde Warren Park was gradually dispersing; some returned to the classroom and others lingered around the greenery.
—Jessica Ma, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
But as the students were dispersing, a group rearranged the letters to spell the slur (using a number 6 to substitute for the letter G), according to Gutierrez.
—Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispersing
Verb
-
But the smoke was dissipating, and that delayed the decision to land.—
Jeff Suess,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Lithium-ion batteries are highly efficient, dissipating less than 10% of their energy as heat during operation.—
Etiido Uko
March 04,
New Atlas,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Birdville downs rival Richland Matthew Moore allowed 1 earned run while scattering 2 hits across 5 innings to lead North Richland Hills Birdville past North Richland Hills Richland 3-2 in a District 6-5A showdown on Tuesday night at Richland High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Junior starter Austin Winge picked up the pitching win, striking out eight and scattering five hits.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Depending on the light, the surface seems to shift, at times appearing almost luminous, at others dissolving into shadow.—
Olga Garcia-Mayoral,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Tokyo revamps maritime forces to improve ship management Meanwhile, Japan has also reorganized its maritime forces to streamline operations and speed up decision-making, dissolving the Fleet Escort Force and creating a new Fleet Surface Force to centrally oversee its surface vessels.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cicada’s disappearing routine Scientists who hunt for unusual Covid-19 variants waited to give this one a colloquial, or common, name.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Economic leadership is not disappearing from legacy markets.—
Mike Simas,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ambrosia released one more album, 1982’s Road Island, before disbanding a few years later.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The group released seven studio albums between 1985 and 2011 before disbanding in 2014 after Spinks died of liver cancer, followed by Lewis’ death in 2020.—
Annie Harrigan,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hamlin led 292 of the first 317 laps, but a caution for debris on the racetrack with 89 laps to go came out at the perfect time for Elliott, who was fading rapidly on older tires.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Blooper reels, once common in comedy films, are fading from cinema partly due to the rise of dramatic post-credit epilogues and the shift from DVDs to streaming platforms, experts say.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispersing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispersing. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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