disintegrateverb [ I ]
uk/dɪˈsɪn.tɪ.ɡreɪt/us/dɪˈsɪn.t̬ə.ɡreɪt/to become weaker or be destroyed by breaking into small pieces:
The spacecraft disintegrated as it entered the earth's atmosphere.
The Ottoman Empire disintegrated into lots of small states.
to become much worse:
The situation disintegrated into chaos.
More examples
- Many meteors disintegrate during their passage through the atmosphere.
- The plaster on the walls was beginning to disintegrate.
- The rubber washer at the back of the machine needs replacing - look, it has completely disintegrated.
- The archaeologist explained that the cloth this brooch was pinned to has since disintegrated.
- It's ok to flush away toilet tissue because it disintegrates, but disposable nappies do not.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Tearing and breaking into pieces
- apart
- asunder
- bobble
- break (sth) off
- breakage
- catch
- fall apart
- flake
- fragmented
- fray
- frayed
- in ribbons idiom
- knacker
- pull
- pull sth apart
- rent
- rip
- shear
- split
- tear sth up
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Deteriorating and making worse
disintegration
noun [ U ] uk/dɪˌsɪn.tɪˈɡreɪ.ʃən/us/ˌdɪs.ɪn.t̬əˈɡreɪ.ʃən/
social disintegration
the gradual disintegration of family values