shatter 1 of 2

1
2
as in to smash
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive shattered the sealed clay pot to find out what was inside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

shatter

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shatter
Verb
Jake makes a toast to the Black Rabbit — the staff, OG investors, and devoted VIPs that make up the court of this indie–sleaze–Studio 54 castle — just in time to watch the scene shatter in a flash of nervous gunfire. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 Snow melts and ice shatters, but the formative memories of youth stay with you. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
In an instant, the ordinary rhythms of their lives — laughter, errands, the hum of home — were shattered. Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 The earth-shattering events of the first trilogy have been all but forgotten, and the Magisterium looms as large as ever. Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
  • The Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the largest ever built, was destroyed.
    Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Russian air defense systems destroyed one drone heading for Moscow, the city’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Sunday, according to Reuters.
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The solar wind smashes into the leading edge of Earth’s magnetosphere with supersonic speed, creating a shockwave that can come closer than one hundred thousand kilometers to the planet’s illuminated side.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • From there, two of the thieves slinked up the ladder to smash a window that leads to the Galerie d’Apollon on the museum’s second floor.
    Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After cutting and trimming any splinters, place the stakes behind the trellis.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The revelation felt like a splinter that lodged itself in Kai’s heart.
    Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Drummond's proposals to the court to sharply limit litter's use as fertilizer would amount to a ban on the practice in the river's watershed; this and the cost of removing all litter from the watershed would ruin poultry growers throughout the region, defendants argue.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
  • In the end, the explorers destroyed themselves and their ships and ruined the lives of so many indigenous people after setting up colonies in places like Tierra del Fuego.
    Charlie Markbreiter, Them., 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • More recently, high-profile firms including Amazon, Apple, Coinbase, Comcast, Google, Lockheed Martin and Meta Platforms have agreed to help finance the ballroom Trump plans for the White House after ordering the building’s East Wing to be demolished.
    Bill Barrow, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • To build the new housing, Arrow Street Development plans to demolish about a half-dozen buildings including multiple old single-family homes and commercial structures.
    Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Advertisement The shard bomb detonates, but victory comes at a cost.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Scott Wedgewood finally came unglued and left Colorado’s chances of winning in shards on the ice.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Then, heat waves in 2024 devastated some northern colonies that had demonstrated more resilience.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This happened when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last year.
    Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Giants, meanwhile, are coming off a painful defeat to the Denver Broncos, after blowing a 19-0 lead and losing 33-32 on a last-second Denver field goal after missing two PATs of their own, including one with 37 seconds left.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • After the final whistle blew at Memorial Stadium, Kiffin made some headlines for his postgame behavior toward an Oklahoma player.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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