atomize

verb

ˈa-tə-ˌmīz How to pronounce atomize (audio)
Definition of atomizenext
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles this medication for athlete's foot is atomized so that it can be sprayed on from an aerosol can

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 atomize The internet has atomized some of the conservative movement’s culture—support for Israel within the Republican Party has been sustained in large part by voters’ embeddedness in evangelical church life. — Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026 To accomplish this, Licklider proposed atomizing books into discrete blocks of information — exactly as Otlet had suggested more than half a century before, but now assisted by digital tools rather than index cards. — Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026 Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2026 The mentality is just one example of how young people in China are reacting and adapting to a fast-changing and often atomizing urban society. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for atomize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atomize
  1. grind
  2. crush
  3. pound
  4. disintegrate
  5. beat
  6. powder
  7. pulverize
Verb
  • The stock spent the fall of 2025 grinding higher along the rising 50-day, then broke into a completely different gear in the spring.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Finance ministers and central bank officials of G20 countries convene in Asheville, North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday as the US-Iran war grinds into its sixth month, raising inflation expectations and keeping energy prices elevated.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • After flooding the courtyard, crushing vehicles and destroying part of one of the surrounding buildings, the liquid flowed into the buildings’ lower floors, where workers were holding morning meetings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Concerns about the software industry’s obsolescence fueled a massive sell-off earlier this year as investors bet AI agents would crush the sector’s business models.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crush
Verb
  • Sarajevans still remember his commands to the Serb gunmen pounding the Bosnian capital in early 1992.
    — Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Deadly landslides struck Southern and Central California, wiping out hillside homes, and powerful waves pounded the state’s shoreline.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • If that’s the case, eagle-eyed observers may be able to witness the space rock disintegrate in real-time.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
  • With all the rain from storms recently, our streets and roads are disintegrating faster.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of disintegrate
Verb
  • She had been beaten and stabbed inside her home, and her body was then placed in the trunk of her car.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Tysie Gallagher, Terri Harper and Caroline Dubois beat Americans Brandi Robinson, Miranda Reyes and Amelia Moore, respectively, earlier in the night, while Reina Tellez defeated Jessica Barry for the United States’ only victory.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • And then Hegseth was off to be powdered and rouged and hair-slicked.
    — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2026
  • Most formulas use a twist or tap brush applicator that channels powder into the bristles for mess-free touch-ups over makeup throughout the day.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 1, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026
Definition of powder
Verb
  • There, the seeming underdog DB team of Dallas pulverized LA's top-notch singles squad 21-11 in shocking dominance by Townsend over Parker in particular (8-0) to send this to the third match on Sunday.
    — Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Storms pulverized the southeast metro area with heavy rain and substantial hail.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pulverize

Browse Nearby Words

atomizations
atomize
atomized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Atomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atomize. Accessed 1 Sep. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All