as in random
lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern
a hodgepodge of scattered ideas that didn't add up to a clear hypothesis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dispersed
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
as in sprayed
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
3
as in dissipated
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 scattered
Jacqueline Kehoe, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Michigan residents are in for another seasonable week, with cooler temperatures and scattered rain, according to the National Weather Service.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
By comparison, campaign two felt more scattered and improvisational (befitting a D&D game).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The threat for heavy rain in South Florida is diminishing, however typical scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours are still possible in the area through the weekend.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
The result was a mile-long line that turned scattered craftwork into synchronized production.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
More likely, a supernova occurs inside a galaxy loaded with numerous, scattered clouds of gas and dust.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
When people think of Jordan, images of bubble tents scattered across the desert, cinematic scenes from Dune, and the sandstone city of Petra, one of the world’s wonders, might come to mind.
—Essence, 28 Oct. 2025
The explosion destroyed multiple structures on the property and scattered debris across surrounding farmland.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2025
The jewels were also scattered across the dress's sheer tulle skirt, which had an asymmetrical, high-slit design showcasing her legs.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Sometimes this happens directly, as with her series of three-dimensional sculptures, scattered across the floor of the entire exhibition, that take the form of thin sticks or rods, maybe 2 or 3 feet long and an inch square, made mainly from aluminum.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Nearly two years later, there’s still evidence at the crime scene that shook this small island country — ash on jutting rocks, melted scraps of plastic and fabric scattered in the verdant shrubbery where wild dogs stalk giant lizards.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Your attention may feel scattered when the moon squares off with Neptune.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Theaters are shrinking, audiences scattered, and the machinery that once turned actors into household names has gone digital.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The core loop spans 18 miles with 4,500 feet of elevation gain, winding from Colchuck Lake’s turquoise waters to the Upper Enchantment Basin’s moonscape of polished granite and scattered tarns.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
Michigan residents are in for another seasonable week, with cooler temperatures and scattered rain, according to the National Weather Service.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2025
By comparison, campaign two felt more scattered and improvisational (befitting a D&D game).
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
The threat for heavy rain in South Florida is diminishing, however typical scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours are still possible in the area through the weekend.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2025
The result was a mile-long line that turned scattered craftwork into synchronized production.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
More likely, a supernova occurs inside a galaxy loaded with numerous, scattered clouds of gas and dust.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
The allure is, of course, obvious — a private members’ club for creative elites with chic hotels and restaurants scattered across major international cities.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
When people think of Jordan, images of bubble tents scattered across the desert, cinematic scenes from Dune, and the sandstone city of Petra, one of the world’s wonders, might come to mind.
—Essence, 28 Oct. 2025
The explosion destroyed multiple structures on the property and scattered debris across surrounding farmland.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2025
The jewels were also scattered across the dress's sheer tulle skirt, which had an asymmetrical, high-slit design showcasing her legs.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Sometimes this happens directly, as with her series of three-dimensional sculptures, scattered across the floor of the entire exhibition, that take the form of thin sticks or rods, maybe 2 or 3 feet long and an inch square, made mainly from aluminum.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Nearly two years later, there’s still evidence at the crime scene that shook this small island country — ash on jutting rocks, melted scraps of plastic and fabric scattered in the verdant shrubbery where wild dogs stalk giant lizards.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
Your attention may feel scattered when the moon squares off with Neptune.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Theaters are shrinking, audiences scattered, and the machinery that once turned actors into household names has gone digital.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattered
Adjective
-
Legalized betting has certain security advantages in that unusual betting patterns — such as large bets being placed on a random player’s performance — can be immediately flagged.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Still, a player ascending from top-15 or top-10-ish status in the league to a legit MVP candidate is arguably an even more difficult, more challenging and vertiginous jump than making the leap from random scrub to solid starter.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Police dispersed the protesters, according to South Korea's newspaper.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
-
But Kevin Buffalino, with the Sacramento Food Bank, said the $80 million that would have been dispersed through the year isn’t enough to meet needs that have been growing since before the shutdown.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The fence corners are clean, so are the ditches, and the fruit trees have been pruned and sprayed.—
Jack O'Connor,
Outdoor Life,
23 Oct. 2025
-
So the little Indian doctor took off and came back with a mask and sprayed all around the room.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Maybe these two stars are all that is left of a cluster that dissipated long ago.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Rather, his dream dissipated into a torrent of mismatched expectations, bad luck, and fear that the project might really be cursed by an unseen force.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Several lawsuits have already been filed challenging the fee and selection changes, with universities, labor groups, and business organizations arguing that the administration exceeded its authority and that the new rules are arbitrary.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Not every such deprivation becomes a literal matter of life and death as in the play, but making use of such scenarios enables Shakespeare to highlight more effectively the danger of arbitrary action.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Think a more year-round COTA, with a dash more exclusivity sprinkled in.—
Patrick Iversen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
According to Deadline, Scorsone's eight-episode hiatus will happen consecutively as opposed to other cast members' screen time reductions that are sprinkled throughout the season.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The celebration was short-lived, however, when the smallest of the whales, a yearling biologists had named Bone and Inuit had named Kanik (or Snowflake) disappeared beneath the ice for good.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The resilience that disappeared north of the border was back.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This prevents stray heat from disrupting the atoms’ oscillations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The stray dogs living at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone are not allowed to leave, per CFF's website, so Dogs of Chernobyl does its best to care for the dogs stuck there.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattered. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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