disappear
Americanverb (used without object)
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to cease to be seen; vanish from sight.
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to cease to exist or be known; pass away; end gradually.
One by one the symptoms disappeared.
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(of a person) to vanish under suspicious circumstances.
The dictator's outspoken opponent disappeared that evening, shortly after midnight.
verb (used with object)
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to cause to disappear.
The magician then disappeared the card.
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to kidnap or arrest and then imprison or kill (a political opponent) without due process of law.
verb
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(intr) to cease to be visible; vanish
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(intr) to go away or become lost, esp secretly or without explanation
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(intr) to cease to exist, have effect, or be known; become extinct or lost
the pain has disappeared
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(tr) (esp in South and Central America) to arrest secretly and presumably imprison or kill (a member of an opposing political group)
Related Words
Disappear, fade, vanish suggest that something passes from sight. Disappear is used of whatever suddenly or gradually goes out of sight: We watched him turn down a side street and then disappear. Fade suggests a (complete or partial) disappearance that proceeds gradually and often by means of a blending into something else: Colors in the sky at sunrise quickly fade. Vanish suggests complete, generally rapid, and often mysterious disappearance: A mirage can vanish as suddenly as it appears.
Other Word Forms
- disappearance noun
- nondisappearing adjective
- undisappearing adjective
Etymology
Origin of disappear
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.
And if he does disappear from the fray, how can he continue to chair the US tour's future competitions committee?
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
“The resistance won’t disappear when we present the proof,” Lehtimäki said in a video presentation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
Even after funding resumes, workers may wait weeks for back pay, which means that callouts and resignations won’t disappear overnight.
From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026
Don’t expect the word stagflation to disappear, though.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
As I stood there in our barn lot and watched the truck disappear in the distance, a strange feeling came over me.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
