Definition

1. Verb:
   • To interrupt the normal course or unity of something: To cause disorder or a break in the continuity of an event, process, or system.
   • To interfere with or prevent the progress of an activity: To cause a significant disturbance that stops something from continuing as usual.

Usage

The verb "disrupt" is used to describe an action that causes a significant interruption or disorder. It often implies a temporary or permanent halt to normal operations. It is a transitive verb, requiring a direct object (the thing being disrupted).

Examples

• Verb:
  • The loud construction noise disrupted the meeting. (The noise caused the meeting to be interrupted.)
  • A sudden power outage disrupted the live broadcast. (The outage caused a break in the broadcast.)
  • The new technology has the potential to disrupt the entire industry. (The technology could fundamentally change and interrupt the industry's normal state.)

Advanced Usage

• "to disrupt the peace": to cause a public disturbance.
  • The protesters were accused of trying to disrupt the peace.
• "disruptive technology": an innovation that significantly alters the way a market or industry functions.
  • The smartphone was a disruptive technology for the mobile phone industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Disruption (n): The act of causing disorder or an interruption; an instance of this.
  • The flight cancellations caused major disruption for travelers.
• Disruptive (adj): Causing or tending to cause disruption.
  • The teacher removed the disruptive student from the classroom.

Synonyms

• Interrupt: To stop the continuous progress of an activity or process.
• Disturb: To interfere with the normal arrangement or functioning of something.
• Upset: To disrupt the normal state or course of something.

Antonyms

• Organize: To arrange into a structured whole.
• Facilitate: To make an action or process easier.
• Continue: To persist in an activity or process without interruption.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Disrupt" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically expressed directly.)

Related Idioms

• "Throw a wrench in the works": To cause a disruption or problem in a process.
  • The last-minute budget cut threw a wrench in the works of our project. (This idiom is a synonym for the concept of disrupting.)

Verb

1. interfere in someone else's activity
   • Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone
2. throw into disorder
   • This event disrupted the orderly process
3. make a break in
   • We interrupt the program for the following messages