disappear

verb

dis·​ap·​pear ˌdis-ə-ˈpir How to pronounce disappear (audio)
disappeared; disappearing; disappears

intransitive verb

1
: to pass from view
The moon disappeared behind a cloud.
2
: to cease to be : pass out of existence or notice
dinosaurs disappeared from the earth
My keys seem to have disappeared again.

transitive verb

: to cause (someone or something) to disappear:
a
: to abduct and kill or imprison (someone, such as a political dissident) while withholding information about the person's fate
Her son was disappeared during Argentina's so-called 'Dirty War.'Associated Press
Under his repressive regime, tens of thousands of Chileans were "disappeared," tortured and killed; hundreds of thousands were forced into exile.Mandalit del Barco
Fearing that he would be kidnapped or "disappeared" in Syria under some false pretext, Mr. Omar made a video, which he posted on YouTube, to establish that he had defected.Dan Bilefsky
When early efforts of containment failed, journalists and doctors who spoke out against the threat were disappeared, these sources said.Bret Baier and Nick Givas
Orwell's novel was published in 1949 in the wake of World War II, when both fascism and socialism seemed to loom as threats to democracy, and it imagines a secretive regime that surveils its people and polices even their thoughts, disappearing anyone who rebels against the order.Jeva Lange
b
: to cause (something) to pass out of existence, possession, or view
VICE has disappeared the post from its Web site.Jenna Sauers
The … waitress disappears the debris from the floor …Catherine Cleary
After class, while waiting for Halmoni to pick me up, I devoured as many of those rainbow morsels as I could, as if disappearing them might also disappear my shame.Jennifer Hope Choi
He shares his opinion that based on his early findings, the bullets didn't come from Locke's gun, which is important because, as Lucca Quinn points out, Peter would have no reason to disappear the evidence if it exonerated Locke.Alexis Rhiannon
disappearance noun

Examples of disappear in a Sentence

The two men disappeared around the corner. The dinosaurs disappeared millions of years ago. These problems won't just disappear by themselves. He disappeared without a trace two years ago. The speaker suddenly disappeared just before the beginning of the ceremony.
Recent Examples on the Web Checking the weather forecast was pointless: rain could appear — or disappear — at any moment. Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024 The actor who’s made his mark in dozens of TV and film roles will not disappear. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Williams disappeared into the prison system, at one point even sharing a cell with his son. Jason Kersten, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024 For many people, PMO symptoms disappear within a few days or weeks. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Mar. 2024 The app disappeared from Google and Apple stores, and its website was blocked. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024 Metro Nashville Police Department Strain, 22, disappeared while on a fraternity trip to Nashville, and was last seen on March 8, shortly after being kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge, a bar owned by country singer Luke Bryan. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2024 Missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue's blanket was found nearly 4 miles from where the toddler disappeared, police confirmed. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Wallace grabbed a bottle of whiskey, vintage 1937, the year Earhart disappeared. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disappear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of disappear was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near disappear

Cite this Entry

“Disappear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disappear. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disappear

verb
dis·​ap·​pear ˌdis-ə-ˈpi(ə)r How to pronounce disappear (audio)
1
: to cease to be visible : pass out of sight : vanish
the moon disappeared behind a cloud
2
: to cease to be
the dinosaur disappeared ages ago
disappearance noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disappear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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