disperse
verb (used with object)
to drive or send off in various directions; scatter.
were dispersing
-
past progressiveof disperse.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
The researchers found that the first fossil evidence of eukaryotes, dating to about 1.05 billion years ago, appeared during a time when continents were dispersing and shallow seas were spreading.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2025
“I had a lot of bees in winter, and the glass in our windows was clinking. And the bees were dispersing in winter because of the rumble.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 8, 2022
The events took place not in a locker room or during a game, but afterward, when players were dispersing.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 25, 2022
His colleague, NBC News correspondent Jo Ling Kent, was hit by what was described were fireworks while reporting in Seattle as police were dispersing a crowd.
From Fox News ● Jun. 2, 2020
The Singing was over, the people were dispersing throughout the city, and the guards, no doubt, would soon resume their search for him.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
