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Synonyms

disorganize

American  
[dis-awr-guh-nahyz] / dɪsˈɔr gəˌnaɪz /
especially British, disorganise

verb (used with object)

  • disorganizes,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • disorganized,
    past participle,  past
  • disorganizing
    present participle
  1. to destroy the organization, systematic arrangement, or orderly connection of; throw into confusion or disorder.


disorganize British  
/ dɪsˈɔːɡəˌnaɪz /

verb

  1. (tr) to disrupt or destroy the arrangement, system, or unity of

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of disorganize

1785–95; < French désorganiser, equivalent to dés- dis- 1 + organiser to organize

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.

See Examples For:

In the 1913 testimony Mitchell opposed a separate Air Service, and condemned disgruntled officers for making statements which might disorganize the service.

From Time Magazine Archive

Not to get the resources of Russia for wartime use; war would further disorganize Russia's badly organized productive capacity.

From Time Magazine Archive

Origin: among typesetters, from the verb "pi" meaning to disorganize hopelessly, as a "pied" line of type: cmfw shrdl cmfwy vbgkq etao ET The original "pied" Piper was so-called from his motley costume.

From Time Magazine Archive

The verdict, the first against the Mafia as a criminal enterprise, was the most damaging blow to La Cosa Nostra struck by the Justice Department in its highly successful crusade to disorganize organized crime.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is, basically, a response to propaganda, something like the panic-producing pheromones that slave-taking ants re lease to disorganize the colonies of their prey.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Blanchard recommends expanding the export controls from defense-related production to “anything which disorganizes production” in the Russian economy.

From Seattle Times Mar. 20, 2022

“Not only does the current protocol fail to protect students, staff and their families, but it also completely disorganizes schools.”

From New York Times Jan. 13, 2022

For the Communists to practice drastic reform as they made war was relatively easy, for in partisan warfare anything that disorganizes society operates to the enemy's disadvantage.

From Time Magazine Archive

When a thunderstorm disorganizes our electric lights for an hour or so we feel it a personal affront.

From Mince Pie by Christopher Morley

She dared not breathe her doubts; but, like a subtle poison which disorganizes everything with which it comes in contact, this new suspicion filled her thoughts, and added to her already intolerable sufferings.

From File No. 113 by Émile Gaboriau

“It’s majorly disorganized, which is weird for our country,” McFarlane added.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 2, 2026

As the hours passed, the people here grew increasingly agitated about a state response that they said was inadequate and disorganized.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 28, 2026

She hurried back as the fires broke containment, but her absence, which her social media posts seemed to obscure, became the symbol of a disorganized response to the disaster.

From Slate Jun. 3, 2026

Andie’s disorganized but inventive, and that’s exactly the way she likes it.

From Salon Feb. 28, 2026

At first, they flew in a disorganized jumble, but each goose slowly drifted into place until the flock was flying in perfect V formation, with Brightbill at the point.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

This double-sax quartet pays homage to Charlie Parker by cutting up, slowing down and disorganizing his compositions.

From New York Times Dec. 6, 2018

One progress report notes that she “seemed to contribute a somewhat disorganizing influence to the class.”

From Slate Dec. 3, 2015

West of Kiev, mobile Soviet columns spread out for 45 miles like the tentacles of a huge octopus, seizing vast booty, disorganizing German resistance.

From Time Magazine Archive

"If we cannot stop the trend, we should at least take steps to decrease the disorganizing effects."

From Time Magazine Archive

It is, however, the greatest means for organizing, disorganizing and reorganizing social relations.

From Our Revolution Essays on Working-Class and International Revolution, 1904-1917 by Leon Davidovich Trotzky

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