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
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has dismantledperfect 3rd person singular
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have dismantledperfect
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is dismantlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been dismantlingperfect progressive
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has been dismantlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are dismantlingprogressive
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am dismantlingprogressive 1st person singular
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dismantlessingular 3rd person
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dismantlingparticiple
Past
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had dismantledperfect
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were dismantlingprogressive plural
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was dismantlingprogressive singular
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had been dismantlingperfect progressive
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dismantledparticiple
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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
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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A Long Way Gone
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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.
NatureScot said it was not known why parrots, and other birds, eat or dismantle windscreen wipers.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
“What we have invented is very dangerous but we can dismantle it,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
The cross-examination sought to dismantle the narrative Musk had built during questioning from his own attorney.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
With four sympathetic votes, Wilcox said, the board could take dramatic steps to dismantle the institution’s traditional structure, potentially including attempts to remove regional reserve bank presidents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
A few years before, Dad had been hired by Utah Power to dismantle hundreds of utility towers.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
