Took apart or broke down something into pieces, or gradually destroyed something's structure or organization.
From dis- (apart) + mantle (a cloak or covering), originally meaning to remove a cloak. By the 1600s it evolved to mean removing the defensive structures from a fortified place, then generally taking things apart.
The word literally means 'removing the cloak' — imagine stripping away layers until something is completely exposed and useless. This is why it's used both for taking apart physical objects and for destroying systems or organizations; you're revealing what's underneath.
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