disruption

noun

dis-ˈrəp-shən How to pronounce disruption (audio)
Definition of disruptionnext
as in disturbance
an act or instance of the order of things being disturbed the flat tire resulted in an unfortunate disruption of the schedule for our road trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 disruption Unionized staff at the Whitney Museum in New York ratified its second contract Sunday night, hours ahead a strike deadline, narrowly heading off a disruption to the opening of a forthcoming Roy Lichtenstein retrospective. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Many areas in Bangkok were inundated last week after days of torrential rain, forcing thousands to evacuate and causing severe disruptions. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Alcohol-free formulas can still help manage dental disease and bad breath without the drying effect or the microbiome disruption of harsher counterparts. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Despite disruptions to his company, his priority is to protect his employees. — Connor Greene, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disruption
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disruption
  1. disturbance
  2. dislocation
Noun
  • Larger deployments would introduce greater distances, stronger environmental disturbances, and more difficult communication conditions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Airman Roger Fortson was in his home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on May 3, 2024, when Eddie Duran responded to the apartment for a call reporting a domestic disturbance, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbance
Noun
  • The Commanders quarterback was back at practice 10 days after suffering his second dislocation.
    — Tashan Reed, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And bond volatility surged this month, raising concerns about dislocations arising in markets.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dislocation

Browse Nearby Words

disrupting
disruption
disruptions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disruption.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disruption. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All