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

Breaking Data Silos: A Cloud Imperative Cloud migration dismantles data silos, enabling unified data that provides comprehensive AI insights and applications. —Chetan Mathur, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

In 1908 it was sold to an American who had the daunting task of dismantling and shipping it block by block from England, then reassembling it on the West Coast of the USA. —Allix Cott, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024

All three are moderate Democrats who have campaigned on issues such as dismantling tent encampments and enacting harsher punishments for retail crime. —Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Phone alerts told people to go home, and the party was effectively dismantled. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 16 Oct. 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