disemboweling

verb

present participle of disembowel
as in cleaning
to take the internal organs out of ancient Roman prophets would disembowel animals in order to read the future from their entrails

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disemboweling Films that accompanied the curriculum also showed the Netsilik disemboweling a seal and carving up a caribou. — Jonathan Zimmerman, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disemboweling
  1. cleaning
  2. removing
Verb
  • Then, cleaning robots would handle waste detection and room upkeep using AI.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Another green measure is the recycling of soap bars through cleaning solutions company Diversy’s Soap for Hope program.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
Definition of cleaning
Verb
  • Regular care prevents yellowing by removing oils and buildup that dull fabrics over time.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
  • Bart Jansen Trump called the court removing restrictions on political spending a victory for Republicans and free speech.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Definition of removing

Browse Nearby Words

disemboweled
disemboweling
disembowels
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disemboweling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disemboweling. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All