disrupt
Americanverb (used with object)
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to cause disorder or turmoil in.
The news disrupted their conference.
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to destroy, usually temporarily, the normal continuance or unity of; interrupt.
Telephone service was disrupted for hours.
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to break apart.
to disrupt a connection.
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Business. to radically change (an industry, business strategy, etc.), as by introducing a new product or service that creates a new market.
It’s time to disrupt your old business model.
adjective
verb
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(tr) to throw into turmoil or disorder
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(tr) to interrupt the progress of (a movement, meeting, etc)
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to break or split (something) apart
Other Word Forms
- disrupter noun
- disruption noun
- disruptor noun
- nondisrupting adjective
- nondisruptingly adverb
- undisrupted adjective
Etymology
Origin of disrupt
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin disruptus, variant of dīruptus “broken apart,” past participle of dīrumpere “to break apart,” from dī- di- 2 + rumpere “to break”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the tankers hauling oil and fuel through the Strait of Hormuz have never been disrupted at length.
Some 30 Iranian top commanders were killed in the 12-day war with Israel last summer, without disrupting Iranian retaliatory attacks.
Just as it breaks down plant cells, ultrasound can disrupt the cell walls of microorganisms such as bacteria that may spoil the product.
From Science Daily
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite fell in February, dragged down by firms whose businesses might be disrupted.
When sleep is repeatedly disrupted by frequent awakenings, shorter sleep duration, or pauses in breathing, the cardiovascular system loses critical recovery time.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
