as in handful
a small number
played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disperse
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart
the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole
these drunken revelers will quickly scatter when the police arrive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scatter
Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
My air purifiers’ internal sensors, some using the same technology as my air quality monitors—a tiny chamber where a beam of light scatters picking up the particulates, even the invisible PM 2.5—automatically cranked up their fans.
—Lisa Wood Shapiro, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024
Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2025
But the movie’s mythology helpfully explains a hyperspace wormhole briefly opened, scattering much of the falling debris across the galaxy.
—Daniel B. Oerther, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scatter
Noun
At several points, the action pauses and an ensemble of actors in Edwardian dress scatters around the deck in panic, wearing Titanic-style life vests that foreshadow the play’s catastrophic climax.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
My air purifiers’ internal sensors, some using the same technology as my air quality monitors—a tiny chamber where a beam of light scatters picking up the particulates, even the invisible PM 2.5—automatically cranked up their fans.
—Lisa Wood Shapiro, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2024
Verb
Usually, AdSense ads appear in search results and are scattered around websites.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2025
But the movie’s mythology helpfully explains a hyperspace wormhole briefly opened, scattering much of the falling debris across the galaxy.
—Daniel B. Oerther, The Conversation, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatter
Noun
-
Horses aren’t unaccustomed to starting gates, but Derby horses are only 3 years old; many have only raced a handful of times.—
Dana O'Neil,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
-
There is still a handful of those in operation in Hong Kong and Japan.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Eos is predicted to disperse, or photodissociate, as a result of background photons impacting the cloud's molecules, in about 5.7 million years' time.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Given how many people were still waiting two and a half hours after they were told to disperse, maybe this is a good reminder for her that she’s reached a level of fame where a performance in the park is probably never gonna be a walk in the park to coordinate.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Most importantly, don’t buy pesticides and spray your backyard to get rid of them, said Kritsky.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Activists elsewhere have set fire to Tesla charging stations, scrawled swastikas into Tesla vehicles and sprayed graffiti on dealerships.—
Heather Knight,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Aaronson has left everything on the pitch to get the team promoted, but question marks about his end product in the Championship are hardly going to dissipate in the Premier League.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
So while The Clayton might be tough to find at first, the rest of your tenure will be as effortless and carefree as lingering cigar smoke dissipating in the air.—
William Goodman,
Robb Report,
1 May 2025
Noun
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The couple is also parents to a daughter named Mia.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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The couple got married on March 23, 1985, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Capitals are a veteran team with youth sprinkled through the lineup.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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They can also be sprinkled on salads, blended into soups, or baked into various types of goods. 12.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN,
Health,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Much of the production that Boston typically counts on disappeared.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Some bumblebee populations have been disappearing from the southern parts of their geographic range and have been found in cooler regions to the north and in more mountainous areas.—
Courtney McGinnis,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Facing Ramírez to start the seventh, López dotted a fastball down and in to the slugger, only for it to be called a ball by plate umpire Malachi Moore.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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Every April, Earth Day arrives in full color – parks buzzing with volunteers, corporate campuses dotted with tree-planting events, and social feeds flooded with stunning shots of mountains, oceans, and forests.—
Namita Gupta-Hehl,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatter. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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