dismantle

verb

dis·​man·​tle (ˌ)dis-ˈman-tᵊl 

dismantled; dismantling (ˌ)dis-ˈmant-liŋ 

-ˈman-tᵊl-

transitive verb

1

: to disconnect the pieces of

will have to dismantle the engine

also : to destroy the integrity or functioning of

The program was later dismantled due to a lack of funding.

2

: to strip of dress or covering : divest

3

: to strip of furniture and equipment

dismantled the ship before scrapping it

dismantlement

(ˌ)dis-ˈman-tᵊl-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• break down
• demount
• disassemble
• dismember
• dismount
• knock down
• strike
• take down

Examples of dismantle in a Sentence

The mechanic dismantled the engine to repair it.

When will they dismantle the old bridge?

The after-school program was dismantled due to lack of funding.

He accuses them of trying to dismantle the country's legal system.

Recent Examples on the Web

Other very stubborn systems for organizing human societies have been dismantled before. —Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

More:Boeing dismantles global diversity, equity and inclusion department, Bloomberg News reports Voting will start at 7 a.m. U.S. Pacific Time (1500 GMT) and end at 7 p.m. with the result expected within hours. —Dan Catchpole and Allison Lampert, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024

In Rafah and central Gaza, the troops operated to eliminate terrorists, dismantle terror infrastructure, and locate weapons. —Scott McDonald, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2024

So, is the solution to dismantle HR and ditch middle managers? —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French desmanteler, from des- dis- + mantel mantle

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dismantle

verb

dis·​man·​tle (ˈ)dis-ˈmant-ᵊl 

dismantled; dismantling -ˈmant-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to take to pieces : take apart

dismantled the engine to repair it

2

: to strip of furniture and equipment

dismantle an office

dismantlement

-ˈmant-ᵊl-mənt 

noun