shrapnel

noun

shrap·nel ˈshrap-nᵊl

especially Southern ˈsrap-

plural shrapnel

: a projectile that consists of a case provided with a powder charge and a large number of usually lead balls and that is exploded in flight

: bomb, mine, or shell fragments

Examples of shrapnel in a Sentence

He has a piece of shrapnel in his leg. Shrapnel from the explosion wounded many people.

Recent Examples on the Web Four are in critical condition due to injuries from shrapnel and shattered glass. —

NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023 Doctors removed half his skull, replacing it with a gel plate, but shrapnel remains. —

Liz Szabo, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2023 Little red wounds from the shrapnel cover her body. —

Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023 Maksym was killed in fighting, likely from shrapnel or a bullet that hit his neck. —

Anastacia Galouchka, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023 Some have injuries to their backs, legs and shoulders from shrapnel, Adwan said. —

CBS News, 21 Oct. 2023 The force of the blast hurled pieces of glass and shrapnel that were embedded in Collins Rudolph’s face. —

Kara Nelson, CNN, 15 Sep. 2023 People had died from shrapnel from the explosion, from flying shards of glass and shattered bricks and from the powerful blast wave, Dr. Podorozhny said. —

David Guttenfelder, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2023 Overhead, a roaring shell filled with musket balls exploded, raining shrapnel over the retreating troops. —

Robert Pushkar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shrapnel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.