SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
disembowel
verb
To remove the internal organs; figuratively, to strip away essential substance.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Remove internal contents
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topDraw has this sense when preparing an animal; the literal alternatives do not apply to every anatomical procedure.
Strip essential substance
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topThe figurative sense criticizes changes that remove what makes a work or argument effective.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See disembowel in use
The critic argued that the cuts would disembowel the novel's central argument.
A proposed cut would disembowel a fictional cooperative repair shop by retaining its sign and reception desk while removing every technician and tool needed to perform repairs.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license