dismantle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive or strip of apparatus, furniture, equipment, defenses, etc..
to dismantle a ship; to dismantle a fortress.
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to disassemble or pull down; take apart.
They dismantled the machine and shipped it in pieces.
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to divest of dress, covering, etc..
The wind dismantled the trees of their leaves.
verb
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to take apart
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to demolish or raze
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to strip of covering
Other Word Forms
- dismantlement noun
- dismantler noun
- undismantled adjective
Etymology
Origin of dismantle
From the Middle French word desmanteler, dating back to 1570–80. See dis- 1, mantle
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.
From there, they report, the administration moved to dismantle key access infrastructure, rolling back administrative improvements that had reduced barriers, expanded language access and improved cross-enrollment systems.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
Security Council, in fact halted Iran’s nuclear program, forced Iran to dismantle most of it, and allowed strict international inspection.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
Washington has for decades led efforts to dismantle North Korea's nuclear programme, but summits, sanctions and diplomatic pressure have had little impact.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
They told him the talks had gone badly: Tehran wasn’t willing to end its nuclear enrichment or dismantle its missile program, the officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
In a week he can dismantle and rebuild it with his eyes closed.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
