disappear
verb
dis·ap·pear
ˌdis-ə-ˈpir 
disappeared; disappearing; disappears
1
: to pass from view
The moon disappeared behind a cloud.
2
: to cease to be : pass out of existence or notice
dinosaurs disappeared from the earth
My keys seem to have disappeared again.
: to cause (someone or something) to disappear:
a
: to abduct and kill or imprison (someone, such as a political dissident) while withholding information about the person's fate
Her son was disappeared during Argentina's so-called 'Dirty War.'—
Associated Press
Associated PressUnder his repressive regime, tens of thousands of Chileans were "disappeared," tortured and killed; hundreds of thousands were forced into exile.—Mandalit del Barco
Mandalit del BarcoFearing that he would be kidnapped or "disappeared" in Syria under some false pretext, Mr. Omar made a video, which he posted on YouTube, to establish that he had defected.—Dan Bilefsky
Dan BilefskyWhen early efforts of containment failed, journalists and doctors who spoke out against the threat were disappeared, these sources said.—Bret Baier and Nick Givas
Bret Baier and Nick GivasOrwell's novel was published in 1949 in the wake of World War II, when both fascism and socialism seemed to loom as threats to democracy, and it imagines a secretive regime that surveils its people and polices even their thoughts, disappearing anyone who rebels against the order.—Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange
b
: to cause (something) to pass out of existence, possession, or view
VICE has disappeared the post from its Web site.—Jenna Sauers
Jenna SauersThe … waitress disappears the debris from the floor …—Catherine Cleary
Catherine ClearyAfter class, while waiting for Halmoni to pick me up, I devoured as many of those rainbow morsels as I could, as if disappearing them might also disappear my shame.—Jennifer Hope Choi
Jennifer Hope ChoiHe shares his opinion that based on his early findings, the bullets didn't come from Locke's gun, which is important because, as Lucca Quinn points out, Peter would have no reason to disappear the evidence if it exonerated Locke.—Alexis Rhiannon
Alexis RhiannonSynonyms
Examples of disappear in a Sentence
The two men disappeared around the corner.
The dinosaurs disappeared millions of years ago.
These problems won't just disappear by themselves.
He disappeared without a trace two years ago.
The speaker suddenly disappeared just before the beginning of the ceremony.
Recent Examples on the Web
While many impact craters on Earth have long disappeared due to erosion and other natural factors, the moon’s craters can help researchers better understand what happened on Earth billions of years ago.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
The plant has been disappearing before a combination of drought, wildfires, agriculture and urban development, according to Monarch Joint Venture, a group that works to protect monarchs.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025
From Cleveland, the star disappears at 2:21 a.m. EST, but at an altitude of just three degrees.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2025
After a mom was accused of stopping her son’s medical treatment, their family disappeared from law enforcement’s radar for nearly four months, Florida authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for disappear 
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.
Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
The plant has been disappearing before a combination of drought, wildfires, agriculture and urban development, according to Monarch Joint Venture, a group that works to protect monarchs.
—CBS News, 4 Feb. 2025
From Cleveland, the star disappears at 2:21 a.m. EST, but at an altitude of just three degrees.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2025
After a mom was accused of stopping her son’s medical treatment, their family disappeared from law enforcement’s radar for nearly four months, Florida authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for disappear
Dictionary Entries Near disappear
Cite this Entry
“Disappear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disappear. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disappear
verb
dis·ap·pear
ˌdis-ə-ˈpi(ə)r
1
: to cease to be visible : pass out of sight : vanish
the moon disappeared behind a cloud
2
: to cease to be
the dinosaur disappeared ages ago
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share