disassemble

American  

[dis-uh-sem-buhl] / ˌdɪs əˈsɛm bəl /

verb (used with object)

disassembles, present (3rd person singular) disassembled, past participle, past disassembling present participle

1. to take apart.

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verb (used without object)

disassembles, present (3rd person singular) disassembled, past participle, past disassembling present participle

1. to come apart.

   These shelves disassemble quickly for easy moving.

disassemble British  

/ ˌdɪsəˈsɛmbəl /

verb

1. (tr) to take apart (a piece of machinery, etc); dismantle

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• disassembly
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• disassembling
  present
• disassembled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• disassemble
  simple
• disassembles
  simple
• have disassembled
  perfect
• has disassembled
  perfect
• am disassembling
  progressive
• are disassembling
  progressive
• is disassembling
  progressive
• have been disassembling
  perfect progressive
• has been disassembling
  perfect progressive

Past

• disassembled
  simple
• had disassembled
  perfect
• was disassembling
  progressive
• were disassembling
  progressive
• had been disassembling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will disassemble
  simple
• will have disassembled
  perfect
• will be disassembling
  progressive
• will have been disassembling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of disassemble

First recorded in 1605–15; dis- ¹ + assemble

Explanation

The verb disassemble means to take something apart. It's one thing to disassemble a computer; it's a whole other thing to put it back together again. If you take your car to the repair shop to have a squeaky brake fixed, you'll be surprised to see the mechanics quickly disassemble your car, removing even its wheels and doors. You can use the word disassemble whenever something's dismantled or broken into pieces. Originally, disassemble meant "to disperse," or to stop a crowd of people from assembling, but the meaning changed to its current definition in the 1600s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disassemble disassembles disassembled disassembling

For nearly half an hour, the soldier demonstrates different types of ammunition and how to assemble and disassemble the Kalashnikov using illustrated boards set up behind him on Haft-e Tir Square.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

“This Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts,” Rufe wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026

Students recreate artifacts using 3D printing, attempt traditional making techniques, and use a digital app she developed to virtually disassemble historical objects.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 16, 2025

"However, there have been stacks created on parts of Mam Tor, and staff and volunteers will infrequently disassemble any found."

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2025

The basement in their North Logan home was an electronics graveyard that included Keith’s first Atari, an ancient model he’d sometimes pull out, disassemble, then solder back together as an improved version.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

The encroaching flames caused the main facility that disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal to pause operations Tuesday night, but it was open for normal work Wednesday.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024

Wildfires were spreading rapidly in Texas and Oklahoma on Tuesday evening, prompting evacuations and the closure of a plant that disassembles nuclear weapons.

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2024

As she stomps and shouts and disassembles, I sit here, still cross-legged on the bed, and wonder whether it’s too late in the day to jump on a train and head into work.

From The Verge ● Aug. 1, 2022

Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins In her bold and strange novel, Watkins disassembles the mythology of the American west, paying particular attention to its brutal expansionism and unquestioned promise of personal reinvention.

From The Guardian ● Feb. 12, 2020

The energy yield depends on the amount of uranium and the time it can be held together before it disassembles itself.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

The device failed to explode and it was discovered and disassembled by the authorities on March 16, the US Attorney's office said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

But a booster it attempted to reuse rapidly disassembled in midair.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 17, 2025

The car was completely disassembled, and every component was stripped and refinished.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2025

Many of the island’s 300-plus residents had already disassembled their ramshackle homes, and bundles of plywood, timber, and corrugated iron lay lashed on the beach.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025

I’ve been disassembled, my insides on the cold concrete porch.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Another employee posted a video on Wednesday disassembling the fitting rooms at a different US location.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

From all accounts, Israeli and American military strikes are meeting and even exceeding their goals of disassembling the regime’s infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 16, 2026

There, Mark finds Gemma serenely disassembling the crib, and coaxes her to run with him.

From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2025

“There was never a waking moment when Ed wasn’t with his guitar. He worked day and night, disassembling and then refashioning his guitars to suit his sound, practicing endlessly. It was all he cared about.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2024

The next time we saw him, he was in uniform, assigned to motion study training in assembling and disassembling the Lewis machine gun and other automatic weapons.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Related Words

• dismantle