Meaning & use
disrupt
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To interrupt something so that it cannot continue as normal.
Grammar: Takes an object: the storm disrupted flights.
Patterns
- disrupt something
- something is disrupted by something
Heavy snow disrupted train services across the north.
Please do not disrupt the class by talking.
Protesters disrupted the speech by shouting.
verbtransitive or intransitivebusinessinformal
To change an industry or way of doing things completely by introducing a new idea or technology.
Grammar: Can take an object (disrupt the market) or stand alone in business talk.
Patterns
- disrupt an industry
- disrupt a market
Online shopping disrupted traditional retail.
The startup hopes to disrupt the taxi industry.
Companies that fail to adapt may be disrupted by newcomers.
Word forms
| third person singular | disrupts |
|---|---|
| past tense | disrupted |
| past participle | disrupted |
| -ing form | disrupting |
Common combinations
- disrupt traffic
- Roadworks will disrupt traffic all week.
- seriously disrupt
- The strike will seriously disrupt travel plans.
- disrupt the supply chain
- The flood disrupted the supply chain for car parts.
- disrupt sleep
- Late caffeine can disrupt your sleep.
- disrupt the market
- The new app could disrupt the market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- interrupt
- Interrupt means to stop something briefly, while disrupt suggests the normal pattern is thrown into disorder.
- upset
- Upset is more casual and often about emotions, whereas disrupt is used for schedules and systems.
- disturb
- Disturb often means to bother someone quietly, but disrupt means to break up an ongoing process.
- derail
- Derail is stronger and means to cause a plan to fail completely.
Opposites
Word family
- disruption noun
- an interruption or breakdown of normal activity
- disruptive adjective
- causing problems that interrupt things
- disruptor noun
- a person or company that changes an industry
- rupture noun
- a sudden break
Commonly confused: disrupt or corrupt?
disrupt vs corrupt
Corrupt means dishonest or damaged. Disrupt means to interrupt. They look alike but are not related.
Practice
A sudden power cut can ____ a meeting.
Choose one answer.
A power cut interrupts a meeting, so disrupt fits. The other verbs do not describe something a power cut would do.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “disrupt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.