disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
| \ (Ë)dis-Ëin-tÉ-ËgrÄt
\
\
disintegrated;
disintegrating;
disintegrates
Definition of disintegrate
1
: to break or decompose into constituent elements, parts, or small particles
water disintegrates the limestone
2
: to destroy the unity or integrity (see integrity sense 3) of
The lies disintegrated their marriage.
1
: to break or separate into constituent elements or parts
The iron hinges were disintegrateing into dust.
2
: to lose unity or integrity by or as if by breaking into parts
The relationship started to disintegrate.
3
: to undergo a change in composition (see composition sense 2)
an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity
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Other Words from disintegrate
disintegrative
\ (Ë)dis-Ëin-tÉ-ËgrÄ-tiv
\
adjective
\
adjective
disintegrator
\ (Ë)dis-Ëin-tÉ-ËgrÄ-tÉr
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of disintegrate in a Sentence
The paper will disintegrate if it gets wet.
The laser can disintegrate most kinds of rock.
Recent Examples on the Web
That sort of process can result in wines that dazzle while young but then disintegrate prematurely. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Winemaker Shauna Rosenblum had to step out of her fatherâs shadow to find her own voice," 28 Aug. 2019 Previous efforts to make plastics that self-destruct on command have had trouble preventing such materials from disintegrating at room temperature. — Prachi Patel, Scientific American, "Disappearing Plastics Stay Strong in the Shadows and Melt Away in the Sun," 26 Aug. 2019 If not, the Marvel and Spider-Man faithful will just have to hold out hope that split isnât the first sign that both franchises are doomed to disintegrate into dust. — Dan Reilly, Fortune, "Spider-Man Far From the MCU, As Sony-Disney Deal Flounders," 21 Aug. 2019 In the weeks that followed, the governmentâs $30-million lawsuit against Al-Shawaf, founder and president of the oldest engineering and architectural firm in Saudi Arabia, disintegrated. — Los Angeles Times, "How a $30-million federal lawsuit was blown up over breakfast," 9 Aug. 2019 Rather than skirt around the intricate emotions of a disintegrating relationship, Dickhut leans in to them, making the song better for it. — Britt Julious, chicagotribune.com, "Burr Oak presents a raw, unfiltered look at the creative spark of Savanna Dickhut," 1 Aug. 2019 The third season of Stranger Things brought us many things: a nostalgic trip back to '80s mall culture, Steve in a sailor suit, gross disintegrating rats, a heartbreaking (possible) loss, and some most excellent hair. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "All the Hidden Messages in the Hairstyles on Stranger Things," 20 July 2019 If a single trip to Ikea can end a disintegrating relationship, imagine how much damage an ocean-crossing trip to an isolated Swedish village could do. — Sonia Rao, Washington Post, "The horrifying âMidsommarâ is a breakup movie, according to director Ari Aster," 11 July 2019 Much as Hereditary was really a kitchen-sink family drama blended with an occult-horror film, Midsommar takes the mundane misery of a disintegrating relationship and renders it as a Technicolor thriller. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Ari Asterâs Midsommar Is a Sun-Drenched Horror Triumph," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disintegrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for disintegrate
disintegrate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of disintegrate
: to break apart into many small parts or pieces
See the full definition for disintegrate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
| \ dis-Ëin-tÉ-ËgrÄt
\
\
disintegrated;
disintegrating
Kids Definition of disintegrate
: to separate or break up into small parts or pieces
disintegrate
verb
dis·in·te·grate
| \ (Ë)dis-Ëint-É-ËgrÄt
\
\
disintegrated;
disintegrating
Medical Definition of disintegrate
: to break or decompose into constituent elements, parts, or small particles
1
: to break or separate into constituent elements or parts
2
: to undergo a change in composition
an atomic nucleus that disintegrates because of radioactivity
Other Words from disintegrate
disintegration
\ (Ë)dis-Ëint-É-ËgrÄ-shÉn
\
noun
\
noun
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