disrupt

disrupt — verb

1. to stop or interrupt a system, process, event, or calm situation from continuing

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to stop or interrupt a system, process, event, or calm situation from continuing in its usual or expected way.

Example

Road construction outside the library disrupted Shanti's concentration as she prepared for her exams.

disrupt + noun phrase (concentration)

A sudden power failure disrupted the airline's check-in system for over three hours.

Common collocations
  • disrupt + noun (a meeting / traffic / services / the peace / the flow)
  • disrupt + a process / a system / an event
Synonyms
  • interrupt

    stronger on the idea of a temporary stop; the activity is expected to resume, whereas 'disrupt' often implies more lasting disorder

  • disturb

    softer in tone; can mean causing slight inconvenience or unease without fully stopping an activity

  • interfere with

    phrasal verb suggesting obstruction or hindrance rather than a full break in continuity

Antonyms
  • maintain

    to keep a system or process in its current state without interruption

  • stabilize

    to prevent unwanted changes or disruptions from occurring

Grammar Patterns

disrupt + noun phrase

Usage Note

Object of the verb is typically a system, process, event, service, or state of concentration — not a person. For example, noise disrupts your work, not 'disrupts you' followed by an infinitive.

Common Mistakes

The loud noise disrupted me to study.
The loud noise disrupted my concentration while I was studying.
'disrupt' takes a noun phrase as object (the thing affected), not a person with an infinitive clause.

2. to change an industry, market, or traditional way of doing things in a major way

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to change an industry, market, or traditional way of doing things in a major way through new ideas, technology, or methods.

Example

Streaming platforms like Spotify disrupted the music industry by changing how people listen to songs.

disrupt + industry by + gerund clause

Ayana's company hopes to disrupt the banking sector with a mobile-only payment app.

Common collocations
  • disrupt + an industry / a market / a sector
  • disrupt + the traditional way of doing something
Synonyms
  • revolutionize

    implies more radical and far-reaching change; 'disrupt' sometimes involves incremental but transformative shifts

  • transform

    focuses on the outcome (a changed structure) rather than the process of upending existing players

  • overhaul

    suggests a thorough renovation from top to bottom, not necessarily driven by innovation

Antonyms
  • preserve

    to keep traditional methods or industry structures intact

  • uphold

    to support and maintain existing business practices or standards

Grammar Patterns

disrupt + noun phrase (industry / market / sector)

Usage Note

Most common in business, technology, and innovation contexts. The related noun 'disruption' often appears alongside this sense, and the adjective 'disruptive' is used in the fixed phrase 'disruptive innovation.'

Common Mistakes

The new app disrupted people from using old methods.
The new app disrupted the traditional hotel industry by making booking faster and cheaper.
In this sense, the object is an industry, market, or sector, not a person or group of people.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Interrupt, disturb, and interfere (with) all relate to breaking the normal course of events, but each differs in intensity and scope. Interrupt is the closest synonym — it implies a temporary stop or break, often with the expectation that the activity will resume (e.g., a phone call interrupting a meeting). Disturb is softer; it can mean causing slight unease or inconvenience without fully stopping an activity (e.g., a noisy fan disturbing someone's sleep). Interfere (with) suggests an obstructive force that makes something harder rather than halting it entirely (e.g., bad weather interfering with travel plans). Disrupt sits between interrupt and interfere: it implies a more significant break in continuity, often affecting a larger system or process. For example, a computer virus can disrupt a company's operations, while a single email notification might only interrupt your concentration.

interrupt ↗disturb ↗interfere with ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • operations
  • activities
  • systems

Adverbs

Phrases

  • disrupt the flow of something
  • have a disruptive effect on

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'disrumpere' (dis- 'apart' + rumpere 'to break'), meaning 'to break apart.' The word entered English through Old French 'desrompre' during the 14th century, originally referring to physical breaking. The modern sense of interrupting a process developed by the 17th century, and the business and innovation meaning gained widespread use in the late 20th century, popularized by management theorist Clayton Christensen's concept of 'disruptive innovation.'