1
as in specks
a very small amount
there was not a particle of truth in what she said
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flecks
a very small piece
a particle of cookie fell on the carpet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of particles
Take a room full of particles, for instance, where half of the particles are cold (low in kinetic energy, moving slowly, with a long timescale in between collisions) and half of the particles are hot (high in kinetic energy, moving rapidly, with short timescales separating successive collisions).
—
Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
As free quarks cannot exist in isolation, quarks produced from the vacuum immediately combine into composite particles called hyperons.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
Subatomic particles, gravity wells and the beginning of the universe – these are difficult and mysterious concepts that are better understood with storytelling and metaphor.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Whatever happens with the anomalies, the fact that neutrinos have mass means that the particles have a direct line to the unknown.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
While most vacuums suck up dust only to blow the smallest particles back out, HEPA filters are far better at trapping the majority of these particles.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
Baryons, particles composed of three quarks, exhibit a stronger flow than mesons, which are particles composed of two quarks.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Apr. 2026
When the ocean is relatively calm and shallow, there is also less plankton, sand, particles, and other materials constantly churning in the waves, which gives the water a clearer appearance.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
Most of us inhale some of these tiny particles every day.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026
As free quarks cannot exist in isolation, quarks produced from the vacuum immediately combine into composite particles called hyperons.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
Subatomic particles, gravity wells and the beginning of the universe – these are difficult and mysterious concepts that are better understood with storytelling and metaphor.
—Regina G. Barber, NPR, 8 Apr. 2026
Whatever happens with the anomalies, the fact that neutrinos have mass means that the particles have a direct line to the unknown.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
While most vacuums suck up dust only to blow the smallest particles back out, HEPA filters are far better at trapping the majority of these particles.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
Baryons, particles composed of three quarks, exhibit a stronger flow than mesons, which are particles composed of two quarks.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Apr. 2026
When the ocean is relatively calm and shallow, there is also less plankton, sand, particles, and other materials constantly churning in the waves, which gives the water a clearer appearance.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
Most of us inhale some of these tiny particles every day.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for particles
Noun
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage, and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harry & Meghan and With Love, Meghan represent Archewell Productions’ biggest splashes in Hollywood by far, but the company has also had its hands in an array of other documentaries, the most recent of which, Cookie Queens, premiered at Sundance in January.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The dramatist’s mode is broader and brasher, calculated for the sweep of the stage rather than the close-up, with splashes of color and humor that can verge on camp.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
About 80 times heavier than protons, W bosons are among the heaviest of nature’s fundamental particles, which can’t be broken down into smaller bits.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There may be no documents in the libraries, but the trees hold bits and shards of this land’s collective memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My grandmother’s version typically called just for the addition of generous sprinklings of Lawry’s garlic salt and black pepper—and that’s it.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Through a specialized molten salt treatment, the long polymer chains in polyethylene are broken down into fuel-grade molecules.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Much like having a cold, the subsequent congestion can then block odor molecules from reaching olfactory receptors.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are hints tossed out to suggest his characters’ inner recesses.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are hints that some forms of present animal life predated the Cambrian.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, think high-protein and filling breakfast filled with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, along with herbs and spices like ginger and turmeric (all of which are anti-inflammatory).—
Siya Bhambwani,
Vogue,
6 Apr. 2026
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Look for whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and words like steamed, baked, poached, roasted, broiled or grilled.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Particles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/particles. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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