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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disperse
This discovery suggests that turtles dispersed rapidly across Pangaea, despite their size and speed.
—
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
With helicopters dispersing bait across treacherous terrain, the project successfully removed invasive rodents that had devastated seabird colonies for over two centuries.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
He is accused of injuring a police officer with a flagpole on June 11 after officers ordered protesters to disperse outside a Whittier hotel where federal immigration agents were rumored to be staying.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Cincinnati Health Centers Cincinnati Health Department has numerous public health centers dispersed throughout the city's 52 neighborhoods.
—Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for disperse
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025
With helicopters dispersing bait across treacherous terrain, the project successfully removed invasive rodents that had devastated seabird colonies for over two centuries.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
He is accused of injuring a police officer with a flagpole on June 11 after officers ordered protesters to disperse outside a Whittier hotel where federal immigration agents were rumored to be staying.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
Cincinnati Health Centers Cincinnati Health Department has numerous public health centers dispersed throughout the city's 52 neighborhoods.
—Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for disperse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disperse
Verb
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Whatever value DeVito’s playbook knowledge provided should have dissipated since the experienced Wilson and Winston had the entire spring to learn the offense.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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Another 1 to 2 inches is expected to fall before the rain dissipates this afternoon.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
4 July 2025
Verb
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Photo of the wreckage captured by the South Florida Sun Sentinel shows several parts of the plane scattered on a patch of grass near a tree.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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At this, the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere, shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue and violet, scatter away, while longer wavelengths — including red and orange — pass through more easily.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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When Soundgarden reunited in 2010, Cameron was a member of both groups, though Soundgarden later disbanded after lead singer Chris Cornell died in 2017.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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When the village disbanded the police department, outgoing Police Chief Jacob Tenbrink told The Enquirer then that Addyston might need to be absorbed by Miami Township to survive.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The child disappeared in June of that year but wasn’t reported missing until July when Caylee’s grandmother learned that Anthony hadn’t seen her daughter in a month.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
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The authors hope to continue to investigate how other developmental genes across other sea spider species may have appeared or disappeared throughout their life history, per Earth.com, potentially affecting their abdomens.—
Christian Thorsberg,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
Verb
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After allowing time for your lips to settle — typically a couple of weeks — a medical professional can reevaluate the symmetry, contour, and firmness of your lips and use hyaluronidase to dissolve some or all of the filler in a certain spot.—
Carlos Wolf,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
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The tap water during winter could be too cold in some regions, and detergents are designed to dissolve in specific temperatures.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Sunscreen, chlorine, saltwater, and even rough drying habits can wear down the fabric, leaving colors faded and suits stretched out.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
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The spark seemed to fade, then the extra effort went AWOL.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disperse. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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