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 Back in April, California and those 15 other states sued the Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health for failing to disperse the grants. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 30 May 2025 Each pack was formed by wolves dispersing from neighboring areas. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 In that case, Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds, with the GHF seeking to quell concerns over its rocky first week of operations in a news release Wednesday. Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 May 2025 Uy has gotten the ball to him effectively with 36.3 digs per game (654 total), which Seng has dispersed among a deep lineup of hitters. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
  • Remove from heat and add bourbon; return to heat and cook over medium, swirling pan frequently and spooning sugar mixture over cherries, until raw alcohol aroma mostly dissipates and cherries are soft, about 3 minutes.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 2 June 2025
  • Target store employee and customer excitement for Pride Month has dissipated as a result of the company’s shift, according to the senior leader.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Rather than capturing the light reflected directly from the object, the system measures how the laser light is scattered by the surrounding space.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
  • Overall, there are some reasonable ideas scattered throughout the executive orders (though whether their implementation ends up being reasonable is questionable, especially given DOGE's involvement).
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • As part of a 2025 legal settlement, the district agreed to suspend the courses, disband its curriculum committee, and sever ties with the consultants.
    Tammi Rossman Benjamin, Oc Register, 29 May 2025
  • The administration is disbanding a Justice Department unit that pursues civil and criminal actions against companies that sell contaminated food and is reassigning its attorneys.
    Stephanie Armour, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • In a single week in June 2008, roughly 900 people at nine newspapers were informed their jobs would disappear.
    Megan Greenwell, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
  • This marks a significant expansion of the President's Choice line, which sees its limited-release bottles quickly disappear into the hands of bourbon collectors and whiskey enthusiasts.
    Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Of course, the teeny sensors are currently the only parts of the boat that don’t dissolve away, though the article suggests that the team is working to make those edible, too.
    Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 5 June 2025
  • This trend is emerging now because the constraints that made intelligence and expertise scarce are dissolving.
    Arafat Kabir, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • However, the glamour faded soon after the team docked in Manhattan.
    Andy Mitten, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • That faded, and Maresca’s task will be maintaining the charge next season.
    Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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