disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən 
plural disruptions
: the act or process of disrupting something : a break or interruption in the normal course or continuation of some activity, process, etc.
disruption of sleep
disruptions in service
a process that has continued without disruption
Throughout the history of medicine, health has been seen as a condition of equilibrium and illness as the disruption of a balanced state.—
David Mechanic
David MechanicBy 1925 most countries had recovered from the economic disruptions caused by the Great War of 1914-18.—John A. Garraty
John A. GarratyExamples of disruption in a Sentence
the flat tire resulted in an unfortunate disruption of the schedule for our road trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Noting that inventory levels were 3 percent higher than a year earlier, Tapia said this was tied to normalizing of shipping through the Red Sea following last year’s disruptions and is expected to continue to stabilize in the coming months.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Highway operator Vinci reported protests and traffic disruptions on highways throughout the country, including Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes and Lyon.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
According to PwC’s 2025 Digital Trends in Operations Survey, 57% of supply chain executives have implemented AI in at least one function, and another 31% are piloting AI applications, with a primary focus on disruption anticipation and scenario planning.
—Hemanth Volikatla, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The disruption, though lasting only about 30 minutes, quickly took the top spot on tech link-sharing site Hacker News for a short time and inspired immediate reactions from developers who have become increasingly reliant on AI coding tools for their daily work.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
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Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Highway operator Vinci reported protests and traffic disruptions on highways throughout the country, including Marseille, Montpellier, Nantes and Lyon.
—Stephane Mahe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
According to PwC’s 2025 Digital Trends in Operations Survey, 57% of supply chain executives have implemented AI in at least one function, and another 31% are piloting AI applications, with a primary focus on disruption anticipation and scenario planning.
—Hemanth Volikatla, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The disruption, though lasting only about 30 minutes, quickly took the top spot on tech link-sharing site Hacker News for a short time and inspired immediate reactions from developers who have become increasingly reliant on AI coding tools for their daily work.
—ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disruption
Cite this Entry
“Disruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disruption. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
disruption
noun
dis·rup·tion
dis-ˈrəp-shən
: the act or process of breaking apart or rupturing
bandaged her leg tightly to prevent disruption of the partly healed wound
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