dismantle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to deprive or strip of apparatus, furniture, equipment, defenses, etc..
to dismantle a ship; to dismantle a fortress.
-
to disassemble or pull down; take apart.
They dismantled the machine and shipped it in pieces.
-
to divest of dress, covering, etc..
The wind dismantled the trees of their leaves.
verb
-
to take apart
-
to demolish or raze
-
to strip of covering
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has dismantledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have dismantledperfect
-
is dismantlingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been dismantlingperfect progressive
-
has been dismantlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are dismantlingprogressive
-
am dismantlingprogressive 1st person singular
-
dismantlessingular 3rd person
-
dismantlingparticiple
Past
-
had dismantledperfect
-
were dismantlingprogressive plural
-
was dismantlingprogressive singular
-
had been dismantlingperfect progressive
-
dismantledparticiple
-
dismantledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dismantle
From the Middle French word desmanteler, dating back to 1570–80. See dis- 1, mantle
Explanation
To take something apart or down is to dismantle it. If you dismantle a computer to see what it looks like inside, you better know how to put it back together, or you might be looking at the inside of your room for awhile. Dismantle is a verb used for both physical things and ideas. You can dismantle a campground by taking down the tents and breaking apart the fire logs, or you can dismantle a government by going against its leadership and bringing down its rule. Often when you dismantle something, you take away its ability to work, as with a nuclear warhead, but you can also take apart decorative or non-working things, as when you dismantle a science-fair display or a city made of blocks.
Vocabulary lists containing dismantle
The Alchemist
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Long Way Gone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Last year's Vegas shows recreated their 1990s Berlin reinvention on Achtung Baby and they capped that off with an archival album of unreleased material from 2004's How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
From BBC • May 22, 2025
The agency is known as The Committee to Dismantle the Regime of June 30, 1989, in reference the Islamist-backed military coup that brought al-Bashir to power.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2022
Sudan became a centre for money laundering and terrorism financing, said Wagdi Salih, a leading member of the task force - the Committee to Dismantle the June 30, 1989 Regime and Retrieve Public Funds.
From Reuters • Sep. 23, 2021
At the same session, Marlyn Tillman, of the Gwinnett Parent Coalition to Dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline in Georgia, criticized what she called the “lack of transparency and intentionality” in organizing the sessions.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2018
Gather the silver vessels, Dismantle the rich curtains of the doors, Bring the Perpetual Lamp; all these shall burn, For Israel's light is darkened, Israel's Law Profaned by strangers.
From The Poems of Emma Lazarus, Volume 2 Jewish poems: Translations by Lazarus, Emma
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.
