smantellare

to dismantle

verb zman-tel-LAH-reh Rare

Also means

to demolish

Usage Note

Smantellare implies taking something apart systematically — it is used for physical structures (smantellare una fabbrica) and figuratively for organisations or systems (smantellare una rete criminale). The initial s- is a privative prefix, and the single s before m is pronounced as a voiced 'z'.

Examples

"Hanno smantellato il vecchio impianto industriale."

Natural Translation

They dismantled the old industrial plant.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Italian Restaurant Etiquette: Mistakes to Avoid

Skip the cappuccino after dinner, never put parmesan on fish, and learn the exact Italian phrases to order gracefully and avoid looking like a tourist.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Present Tense: -are, -ere, -ire Verbs

Conjugate Italian present-tense verbs fast: one color-coded chart for -are, -ere, and -ire endings, plus the sneaky -isc- group most guides bury.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Italian False Friends: 20 Words That Trick You

Italian false friends like preservativo, parenti, and caldo mean the opposite of what English speakers expect. Here are 20 ranked by how badly they bite.

June 5, 2026 6 min read