disrupting

verb

present participle of disrupt
1
as in breaking
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly an earthquake that had disrupted the elevated highway in several places

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shuffling
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the arrival of a baby in the household would totally disrupt their established routine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 disrupting Almost constant air raids in Kyiv have now reached their third day, choking the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupting civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 In 2023, workers accused the company of disrupting union activities, including implying workers could be dismissed for participating in a union protest and locking emergency exits on the day workers planned to picket outside. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Both stocks have been hit in the last year over concerns of prediction markets disrupting the industry, and the companies have rushed to get their own prediction market exchanges online. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Furthermore, the light emitted from screens appears to contribute to sleep disturbances by disrupting the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Engineered for Real-World Livability FreshFlow is designed to deliver airflow without disrupting daily life. — New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026 Six months later, the war trudges on, indirectly ensnaring much of the world by severely disrupting global trade. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Aug. 2026 While the gains are especially significant as Bangladesh’s ongoing gas shortage is intensifying load-shedding for manufacturers and disrupting production, the technology’s most immediate impact will be felt by workers. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026 The charges are hindering proceedings by disorderly conduct, a Class A misdemeanor, and disrupting a meeting or procession, a Class B misdemeanor. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disrupting
  1. breaking
  2. shuffling
  3. fracturing
  4. disturbing
  5. destroying
  6. confusing
  7. reducing
  8. upsetting
Verb
  • That was a full-length movie filmed in 2004 when the Red Sox were breaking their storied curse, and included Johnny Damon and other players in cameos.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • For example, the original pipe was aluminum, which is lighter and easier to move into the steep canyon but is more susceptible to breaking.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of breaking
Verb
  • The bull riders—including the current champion, 20-year-old John Crimber—stand with their cowboy hat over their heart, boots shuffling nervously in the dirt.
    — Christine Lennon, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There must have been a hundred of us there, circling the truck, clambering onto its hood, shuffling and shimmying and twerking with abandon.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuffling
Verb
  • Upon his return to the team, Simmons started three games before fracturing his wrist in a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.
    — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, researchers found sanctions have at times backfired by fracturing opposition and boosting support for the regime – even among moderate opponents of the government.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of fracturing
Verb
  • Since each qubit is individually connected to the coupler, each qubit can be individually reset without disturbing its neighboring qubits.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Kyiv authorities told parents to prepare for the possibility of attacks disturbing school and urged them to teach their children what to do during an alert.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • Demonstrators carrying Spanish flags moved toward beachside migrant camps last week, destroying shelters and setting fires as police attempted to keep protesters and migrants apart, according to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE and news agency EFE.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Several homeowners near Meta’s massive Newton County data center have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech company and others of tainting their water and destroying their rural way of life.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Verb
  • Handles up improves safety and hygiene during unloading, avoiding contact with eating surfaces and reducing injury risk.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Gormley says lifestyle changes can also help, like reducing screen time and taking more breaks from screens throughout the day.
    — Maria Godoy, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of reducing
Verb
  • Chelsea Green dramatically won the WWE Women's Interim Championship in a thrilling ladder match, upsetting heavy favorite Charlotte Flair.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • More pragmatic figures in the establishment accuse these hard-liners of upsetting the country’s social peace with needless political repression, and by seeking to micromanage the lifestyles of ordinary people.
    — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of upsetting

Browse Nearby Words

disrupters
disrupting
disruption
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Cite this Entry

“Disrupting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disrupting. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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