A sudden power surge can disrupt the delicate calibration of laboratory instruments, requiring hours of recalibration.
突然的电力浪涌会扰乱实验室仪器的精密校准，需要数小时的重新校准。
Marine biologist Sofia Petrov reports that ocean acidification is reducing the shell density of certain plankton species, which she warns could disrupt the marine food web from its base upward.
From a Cross-Text Connections question · Craft and Structure
A marine biologist hypothesizes that noise pollution from shipping lanes disrupts the communication patterns of humpback whales.
From a Command of Evidence: Textual question · Information and Ideas
A marine biologist hypothesizes that increased boat traffic in a coastal bay disrupts the feeding behavior of resident dolphin pods.
From a Command of Evidence: Textual question · Information and Ideas
Which choice best defines “disrupt”?
C — To interrupt or cause disorder. “disrupt” means to interrupt or cause disorder.
Which word means “to interrupt or cause disorder”?
D — disrupt. “disrupt” means to interrupt or cause disorder.
disrupt — to interrupt or cause disorder. In Chinese: 扰乱，中断.
disrupt is pronounced /dɪsˈrʌpt/.
A sudden power surge can disrupt the delicate calibration of laboratory instruments, requiring hours of recalibration. (突然的电力浪涌会扰乱实验室仪器的精密校准，需要数小时的重新校准。)
interrupt, disturb, interfere with — all close in meaning to disrupt (to interrupt or cause disorder).
maintain, stabilize — each the opposite of disrupt (to interrupt or cause disorder).
Yes. disrupt is on the SAT Prep Easy list — mid-frequency academic words that do get tested. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.