dissolve

1 of 2

verb

dis·solve di-ˈzälv

-ˈzȯlv

also -ˈzäv,

or -ˈzȯv

dissolved; dissolving; dissolves

transitive verb

: to cause to disperse or disappear : destroy

do not dissolve and deface the laws of charity

Francis Bacon

: to separate into component parts : disintegrate

dissolved the company into smaller units

: to bring to an end : terminate

the king's power to dissolve parliament

their partnership was dissolved

law : annul

dissolve an injunction

the marriage was dissolved

chemistry : to cause to pass into solution (see solution sense 2b)

dissolve sugar in water

dissolve a chlorine tablet

: melt, liquefy

The heat will dissolve the chocolate.

: to cause to be emotionally moved (see move entry 1 sense transitive 5a)

She was dissolved in tears.

: to cause to fade in or out in a dissolve (see dissolve entry 2)

archaic : detach, loosen

: to clear up : to find a solution, explanation, or answer for

dissolve a problem

intransitive verb

: to become dissipated (see dissipate sense 1) or decomposed

the mist … dissolved as it touched the valleys

Han Suyin

: break up, disperse

The temporary committee will be made to dissolve.

: to fade away

His strength had dissolved.

: to become fluid : melt

glaciers dissolving into the sea

chemistry : to pass into solution

Salt dissolves in water.

: to be overcome emotionally

He dissolved into tears.

: to resolve itself as if by dissolution

hate dissolved into fear

: to change by a dissolve

The scene dissolves to a Victorian parlor.

dissolvable

di-ˈzäl-və-bəl

-ˈzȯl-

adjective

dissolvent

di-ˈzäl-vənt

-ˈzȯl-

noun or adjective

dissolver noun

dissolve

2 of 2

noun

: a gradual superimposing of one motion-picture or television shot upon another on a screen

Example Sentences

Verb Dissolve the tablet in water. Hopes for peace dissolved in renewed violence. His kind words dissolved her sadness. The treatment is used to dissolve kidney stones.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

On Thursday, Parler said Ye will no longer buy the social media website, marking the artist's latest business partnership to dissolve in the wake of his antisemitic comments.

Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2022 Buprenorphine is an opioid that pharmacies most often sell as a tablet or a film that both dissolve under the tongue.

Tony Leys, NBC News, 30 Nov. 2022 Fantasies of inexhaustible wealth or oceanic dominion arise, only to dissolve again in chilly mists.

Neal Ascherson, The New York Review of Books, 5 Oct. 2022 County staff plan to embark on a massive outreach effort to let tenants and landlords know that those protections will dissolve.

Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2022 But the icing on the cake is an especially intense scene when the season's Big Bad (Jamie Campbell Bower) is torturing Eleven (Brown), only to dissolve into giggles — which was apparently a common occurrence for Bower.

Amethyst Tate, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2022 The bill states the special designation, which also gives Disney significant tax advantages, won’t dissolve until June 2023.

Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 21 Nov. 2022 As state lawmakers gear up for the legislative session in January, one North Texas Republican is making a longshot push to dissolve the city of Austin.

Cayla Harris, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Nov. 2022 Rubbing makes the top notes dissolve more quickly and affects how the fragrance develops.

Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022

Noun

With paper-thin characters and a narrative that prioritizes momentum over emotional depth, its confectionary delights dissolve as quickly as sugar on the tongue.

Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Nov. 2022 Native to nutrient-poor soils, monkey cups (Nepenthes ‘Miranda’) have dangling pouches that capture and dissolve insects for food.

Sunset Magazine, 27 Oct. 2022 Ajavon has seen many would-be trips dissolve because no one wanted to take the lead.

Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2022 If the caramel forms hard clumps around the citrus slices, return the skillet to heat over medium-low and continue to cook, swirling the caramel around the citrus pieces, until any hard clumps dissolve, 2 minutes.

San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 The hard boundaries dissolve and the trio fall into an endearing routine — eating dinner together at the tiny dining room table, dusting off old photo albums and sharing stories about the past.

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2022 Bought my last jug of laundry detergent in June 2021; from now on, it’s sheets (or strips) of laundry detergent that dissolve in the wash.

Brad Wieners And Lisa Jhung, Men's Health, 11 July 2022 Shimmering walls of color dissolve and flow into other shapes and images all around the viewer.

CBS News, 8 July 2022 Acting as a mind enhancer, the book is a dive into the deepest part of ourselves, where contradictions dissolve and polarities merge.

Rica Cerbarano, Vogue, 22 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dissolve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.