disrupt

American  

[dis-ruhpt] / dɪsˈrʌpt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause disorder or turmoil in.

   The news disrupted their conference.

2. to destroy, usually temporarily, the normal continuance or unity of; interrupt.

   Telephone service was disrupted for hours.

3. to break apart.

   to disrupt a connection.

4. Business. to radically change (an industry, business strategy, etc.), as by introducing a new product or service that creates a new market.

   It’s time to disrupt your old business model.

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adjective

1. broken apart; disrupted.

disrupt British  

/ dɪsˈrʌpt /

verb

1. (tr) to throw into turmoil or disorder

2. (tr) to interrupt the progress of (a movement, meeting, etc)

3. to break or split (something) apart

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Other Word Forms

• disrupter noun
• disruption noun
• disruptor noun
• nondisrupting adjective
• nondisruptingly adverb
• undisrupted adjective

Etymology

Origin of disrupt

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin disruptus, variant of dīruptus “broken apart,” past participle of dīrumpere “to break apart,” from dī- di- ² + rumpere “to break”

Example Sentences

Investors fleeing hard-hit software companies are taking comfort in stocks that might not get disrupted as much by the artificial-intelligence revolution.

From Barron's

Anthropic said modernizing this code—a task that has traditionally fallen in IBM’s wheelhouse—could be done “in quarters instead of years,” potentially disrupting a major revenue stream for IBM.

From Barron's

Climate is not the only factor that could disrupt this system.

From Science Daily

A fire broke out at Cape Town International Airport Tuesday, prompting passenger evacuations and disrupting international flights to and from South Africa's popular tourist city before being brought under control.

From Barron's

The co-author of a report musing about artificial intelligence disrupting a host of businesses says he was betting those companies would go down in value.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• breach
• break into
• obstruct