as in bullets
a usually round or cone-shaped little piece of lead made to be fired from a firearm
the tightly packed pellets of a shotgun cartridge
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Recent Examples of pellets
Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
The pellets can be rehydrated before adding them to potting soil or mixed in dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
And Lamanna’s coauthor Jingmai O’Connor, vertebrate paleontologist and associate curator of fossil reptiles at Chicago’s Field Museum, also pointed out wads of bone found in the Changma Basin resemble pellets that owls regurgitate after feeding on prey.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Paleontologists have documented over 100 prehistoric avian dinosaur remains buried across the region, many resembling the digestive pellets regurgitated by owls living today.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Alfalfa pellets are prepared the day before by soaking in water, sugar and compost to stimulate microbial activity.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Just like the boys, Nana was as giddy to feed the donkeys grass pellets that sold for a dollar a bag.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
These pellets decompose naturally in the garden, providing a small nitrogen source for the soil, retaining water like mulch, and possibly providing a snail deterrent.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 May 2026
Noun
These missiles are designed to explode in midair, spraying more than 180,000 tungsten pellets outward.
—Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
The pellets can be rehydrated before adding them to potting soil or mixed in dry.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
And Lamanna’s coauthor Jingmai O’Connor, vertebrate paleontologist and associate curator of fossil reptiles at Chicago’s Field Museum, also pointed out wads of bone found in the Changma Basin resemble pellets that owls regurgitate after feeding on prey.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Paleontologists have documented over 100 prehistoric avian dinosaur remains buried across the region, many resembling the digestive pellets regurgitated by owls living today.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026
In Lake Michigan, the chief source of drinking water for Chicago and its suburbs, the pellets spread from tributaries and pour out of dozens of sewage treatment plants ringing the lake.
—Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Alfalfa pellets are prepared the day before by soaking in water, sugar and compost to stimulate microbial activity.
—Special To The Denver Post, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Just like the boys, Nana was as giddy to feed the donkeys grass pellets that sold for a dollar a bag.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 May 2026
These pellets decompose naturally in the garden, providing a small nitrogen source for the soil, retaining water like mulch, and possibly providing a snail deterrent.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pellets
Noun
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Bedbugs bite them at night and stray bullets fly before dawn.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
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The two men were struck by bullets and taken to the hospital, police said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Like generations of potential treatments before it, KRSA-028 is designed to break down a protein called amyloid that clumps up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
18 Feb. 2026
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However, sometimes the abnormal IgA (the antibody that clumps up and causes problems) does run in families.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The store is 8,000 square feet with plenty of options to choose from as far as merch goes, including jerseys, Funko Pops, soccer balls and more.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
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Documents from the monastery of San Lorenzo in Capua refer to the tiny balls of fatty milk encased in their own stretchy, tangy skin as mozze.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Critics also say Horvath lumps together different types of ed tech and doesn’t grapple with research that supports moderate use of computers in school.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
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Most lumps such as these are noncancerous lipomas, or fatty tumors, and a decision on whether to remove them is based on whether the lumps interfere with movements or threaten other issues.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pellets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pellets. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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