Synonyms

disband

American

[dis-band] / dɪsˈbænd /

verb (used with object)

to break up or dissolve (an organization).

They disbanded the corporation.

verb (used without object)

to disperse.

disband British

/ dɪsˈbænd /

verb

to cease to function or cause to stop functioning, as a unit, group, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

disbandment noun
undisbanded adjective

Etymology

Origin of disband

1585–95; < Middle French desbander, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + -bander, derivative of bande troop, band ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rather than disband the Vermont Rainbow Coalition after the 1984 primary, they kept the group going, endorsing candidates in campaigns for the legislature and statewide office in each of the next three election cycles.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

In 1949, Down Beat magazine, long a champion, even urged him to disband.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

It was the inner circle, a cabal I’d tried to disband for more than a decade.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

It was around this time that she and the Patti Smith Group decided to disband, which resulted in the aforementioned rumors surrounding her motives.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

We would not disband but carry on from underground.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023