1. The act of taking something apart
   "Russia and the United States discussed the dismantling of their nuclear weapons";
   - dismantlement, disassembly

1. Take apart into its constituent pieces
   "The mechanics dismantled the engine";
   - disassemble, take apart, break up, break apart
    
2. Destroy or completely remove a building or structure
   "When a force occupies an enemy fortress, it may dismantle the fortifications";
   - level, raze, rase [archaic], tear down, take down, pull down, flatten, demolish, knock down
    
3. [archaic] Take off or remove
   "They dismantled the old machinery";
   - strip

Derived forms: dismantlings

See also: break

Type of: activity, destroy, destruct, remove, spifflicate [Brit, informal], spiflicate [Brit, informal], take, take away, uncreate [literary], withdraw

Antonym: assemblage, fabrication