Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense disrupts, present participle disrupting, past tense, past participle disrupted
1. verb
If someone or something disrupts an event, system, or process, they cause difficulties that prevent it from continuing or operating in a normal way.
Anti-war protesters disrupted the debate. [VERB noun]
The drought has severely disrupted agricultural production. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: disturb, upset, confuse, disorder More Synonyms of disrupt
2. verb
To disrupt a market or a technology is to change the way it works by introducing new methods that are completely different to those that have been used in the past.
If it succeeds, the technology has the potential to seriously disrupt the currentmarket for medical devices. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of disrupt
disrupt in British English
(dɪsˈrʌpt)
verb
1. (transitive)
to throw into turmoil or disorder
2. (transitive)
to interrupt the progress of (a movement, meeting, etc)
3.
to break or split (something) apart
4. business
to challenge established methods in (a market, technology, etc) with the intention of changing the way it operates
Derived forms
disrupter (disˈrupter) or disruptor (disˈruptor)
noun
disruption (disˈruption)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin disruptus burst asunder, from dīrumpere to dash to pieces, from dis-1 + rumpere to burst
disrupt in American English
(dɪsˈrʌpt; ˈdɪsˈrʌpt)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1.
to break apart; split up; rend asunder
2.
to disturb or interrupt the orderly course of (a social affair, meeting, etc.)
Derived forms
disrupter (disˈrupter)
noun or disˈruptor
disruption (disˈruption)
noun
Word origin
< L disruptus, pp. of disrumpere, to break apart < dis-, apart (see di-1) + rumpere, to break: see rupture
Examples of 'disrupt' in a sentence
disrupt
Sources said he had disrupted meetings and was forcibly removed from chambers days earlier.
The Sun (2008)
Sleep deprivation can disrupt the production of hormones that are involved in controlling hunger.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Plus lack of sleep disrupts production of stress hormones.
The Sun (2007)
To disrupt the way it is run would be a tragedy.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Nobody wants to see our national game disrupted in any way.
The Sun (2008)
Police said that the protesters have used weapons ranging from teargas to canisters of engine oil to disrupt the production.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The problem is the way these are disrupting habits you think of as sacrosanct and upsetting relations with loved ones.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You don't let it disrupt the meeting.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The big freeze in January inevitably disrupted some production.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Production was disrupted, but there was no lasting effect on the supply of machines.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
In addition, strikes involving the loss of working days can seriously disrupt production and lower output.
Pass, Christopher, Lowes, Bryan Collins Dictionary of Economics (1993)
For the workforce, this means that they are disrupting production but not losing any wages in so doing.
Chambers, Ian Business Studies Basic Facts (1990)
He said that the prospect of insurgents disrupting production from Iraq highlighted the lack of spare oil supplies from elsewhere in the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
A four-year strike disrupted production and profit flow.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The problems that disrupted production into July were more to do with local officials on the ground, and they seem to have been dealt with.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
disrupt
British English: disrupt /dɪsˈrʌpt/ VERB
If someone or something disrupts an event or process, they cause problems that prevent it from continuing normally.