SCATTER Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'scatter' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scatter are dispel , disperse , and dissipate . While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions. // the bowling ball scattered the pins

Q: When could 'dispel' be used to replace 'scatter'?

The meanings of dispel and scatter largely overlap; however, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering. // an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

Q: In what contexts can 'disperse' take the place of 'scatter'?

The words disperse and scatter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group. // police dispersed the crowd

Q: Where would 'dissipate' be a reasonable alternative to 'scatter'?

In some situations, the words dissipate and scatter are roughly equivalent. However, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance. // the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

scatter 1 of 2

noun

Definition of scatter

as in handful

a small number played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scatter

2 of 2

verb

ˈska-tər

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

as in to spray

to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb scatter differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of scatter are dispel, disperse, and dissipate. While all these words mean "to cause to separate or break up," scatter implies a force that drives parts or units irregularly in many directions.

the bowling ball scattered the pins

When could dispel be used to replace scatter?

The meanings of dispel and scatter largely overlap; however, dispel stresses a driving away or getting rid of as if by scattering.

an authoritative statement that dispelled all doubt

In what contexts can disperse take the place of scatter?

The words disperse and scatter are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disperse implies a wider separation and a complete breaking up of a mass or group.

police dispersed the crowd

Where would dissipate be a reasonable alternative to scatter?

In some situations, the words dissipate and scatter are roughly equivalent. However, dissipate stresses complete disintegration or dissolution and final disappearance.

the fog was dissipated by the morning sun

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 scatter

Noun

Then, the video shows all those under the tent scatter quickly. — Cbs Texas Staff, CBS News, 4 June 2026 Another strong scatter market would push the numbers even further along an upward trajectory. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 June 2026

Verb

For example, in 2023, Hurricane Idalia scattered individuals north to 17 states, including Kansas, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026 The threat of showers and thunderstorms will continue into Tuesday, although rainfall should become more scattered. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for scatter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatter

Noun

After the contest, the singer continued her artistic pursuit, performing with a handful of bands including Bobby Wayne & the Dixies and, later, Imagination.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Beauty tourism was once largely associated with lower-cost dental work and a handful of cosmetic surgeries performed abroad.

— Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of handful

Verb

The clouds begin to part The clouds of grief and sorrow that had enveloped Gounder with the approach of the World Cup were dispersed by the bright orange sun of a New York Knicks championship, the team’s first in 53 years.

— PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026
North Field on Tinian, which was once the busiest airport in the world, was shut down after the war but is undergoing renovation to become an alternate base to Guam as Washington tries to disperse its assets around the region.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of disperse

Verb

Squirting oil from a can or spraying from an aerosol can takes just minutes.

— Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
In contrast, spraying visible ants often kills only a small portion of the colony while leaving the nest intact, with millions of workers ready to replace the small population killed by a contact spray.

— The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of spray

Verb

In front of a predominantly Brazilian crowd and with the haze of a pre-match pyrotechnic display still dissipating, Norway seemed to leap out to a lead in the first few minutes with a goal by Patrick Berg, but it was quickly ruled offside.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
The Gen5 version adds vapor chamber cooling to dissipate heat more effectively during intensive workloads.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026

Definition of dissipate

Verb

Khalra’s investigation alleged that thousands of people who had disappeared were cremated anonymously by police without informing their families or maintaining official records.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Bond has always been an intriguing vessel; by design, the spy is detached and isolated, a character who can disappear into the shadows and emerge totally fixated on a new mission with his past loves and losses brushed off with ease.

— Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of disappear

Noun

The result was a scattering of highly radioactive material across a 600-km (373-mile) area in Canada, from Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories southeastward into portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

— David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
What links certain mathematical models of traffic flow, shallow-water waves, and quantum particle scattering?

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 25 June 2026

Definition of scattering

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scatted

scatter

scatterbrain

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“Scatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatter. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of scatter

noun

verb

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