disrupts

Disrupts is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb disrupt, meaning to interrupt or disturb the normal course, functioning, or continuity of something. It can describe actions that break continuity, cause disorder, or alter established patterns. In common usage, disrupts often conveys a deliberate or unintended interruption of operations, schedules, or markets.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin disrumpere, meaning “to break apart,” from dis- meaning apart and rumpere meaning “to break.” The form disrupts appears in English after the verb disrupt, with the subject-verb agreement in present tense.

Usage: In business and technology writing, disrupts is frequently used to describe innovations or strategies that fundamentally alter existing industries by changing how value is created or delivered. For example, a new platform disrupts traditional retail channels by enabling direct-to-consumer models. In other contexts, disruptions can be temporary or unintended, such as a power outage that disrupts production or a protest that disrupts traffic. The term can carry either neutral or evaluative connotations, depending on perspective and intent.

Related terms: Disrupts is a verb; its noun form is disruption. The adjective disruptive is used to describe things that have the quality of causing disruption or people who foster significant, often transformative, change. In management and economics, the concept of disruption is often linked to disruptive innovation, a framework describing how new entrants displace incumbents through novel business models or technologies.