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
Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, rain will pick up across the Midwest from Kansas and Missouri through Ohio and Pennsylvania while scattered thunderstorms are possible from Arkansas up to Ohio, with some possibly strong enough to bring gusty winds and maybe an isolated tornado.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2025
The North Bay will experience moderate to heavy rain on Saturday, with the rest of the region seeing light, scattered rainfall, the National Weather Service said.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Mars in Capricorn wants your expansion strategic and sustainable, not just spontaneous and scattered.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 14 Dec. 2025
In Ohio, heavy lake-effect snow fell on large swaths of northern Ohio heading into Thanksgiving, followed by a strong midweek cold front that dropped temperatures and produced scattered snow across the state.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Your press should not feel random or scattered.
—Becca Brazil, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Jersey Central Power and Light reported more than 5,980 power outages in Ocean County, with about 100 more scattered throughout its service area.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Giving feels scattered, reactive, or oddly unsatisfying.
—Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Observing protoplanetary disks like EC 53 can offer new insights on the building blocks of planets and comets scattered across space.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Chunks of semisweet chocolate are perfect for chocolate chip cookies or scattered in banana bread.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
The pre-Columbian mound complexes scattered across North America met a similar fate.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Farther south, more stormwater treatment areas, 97 square miles of them in all, are scattered between the sugarcane and vegetable fields that make the EAA among the most bountiful regions in the nation and the fragile Everglades.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Its fractured, scattered form, grasping for structure instead of pretending to master it, is an attempt to build a future that will include both author and reader.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
On Sunday, rain will pick up across the Midwest from Kansas and Missouri through Ohio and Pennsylvania while scattered thunderstorms are possible from Arkansas up to Ohio, with some possibly strong enough to bring gusty winds and maybe an isolated tornado.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2025
The North Bay will experience moderate to heavy rain on Saturday, with the rest of the region seeing light, scattered rainfall, the National Weather Service said.
—Jose Fabian, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Mars in Capricorn wants your expansion strategic and sustainable, not just spontaneous and scattered.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 14 Dec. 2025
In Ohio, heavy lake-effect snow fell on large swaths of northern Ohio heading into Thanksgiving, followed by a strong midweek cold front that dropped temperatures and produced scattered snow across the state.
—Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
Instead of dotting the same black scrim, like pinholes in a two-dimensional theater backdrop, the stars were scattered through space at dramatically varying distances, a vast swarm of them filling every last corner of an even vaster, more numinous, and emphatically three-dimensional darkness.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Your press should not feel random or scattered.
—Becca Brazil, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Jersey Central Power and Light reported more than 5,980 power outages in Ocean County, with about 100 more scattered throughout its service area.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Giving feels scattered, reactive, or oddly unsatisfying.
—Kris Putnam-Walkerly, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Observing protoplanetary disks like EC 53 can offer new insights on the building blocks of planets and comets scattered across space.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Chunks of semisweet chocolate are perfect for chocolate chip cookies or scattered in banana bread.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
The pre-Columbian mound complexes scattered across North America met a similar fate.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Farther south, more stormwater treatment areas, 97 square miles of them in all, are scattered between the sugarcane and vegetable fields that make the EAA among the most bountiful regions in the nation and the fragile Everglades.
—Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattered
Adjective
-
Police have started planning for next year’s New Year’s events, including traffic control and celebratory random gunfire, Comeaux said.—
Timia Cobb
Breaking News Reporter,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Powering through the memory shortage Memory costs — primarily referring to DRAM, or dynamic random access memory used for temporary, short-term semiconductor memory and NAND used for long-term storage — have soared over the past year due to rising compute needs from AI data centers.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While some protesters dispersed, others remained and continued to throw bottles and rocks at officers, according to the LAPD.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road.—
KIMBERLEE KRUESI,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Agents sprayed pepper balls and tear gas toward a nearby crowd of agitators as the altercation continued, though the man was ultimately released.—
Greg Wehner , Matt Finn,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Authorities said the dogs were barking at the fence before they were sprayed.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The storms dissipated while the Hoosiers took their first-half lead, and blue skies appeared in the second half.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Jan. 2026
-
The storms dissipated while the Hoosiers took their first-half lead, and some blue in the sky appeared early in the second half while the Hoosiers closed in on history.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The memorandum filed Monday argues the court should not adopt the deferential standard of arbitrary or capricious.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The judge also said the administration’s decision had been arbitrary and capricious, given its failure to consider Vineyard Wind’s interest in having the project continue on its schedule to a March completion.—
Mark Chediak,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Still, comical moments were sprinkled throughout the ceremony.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The beachfront Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences is sprinkled with vibrant gardens, sparkling pools, and accommodations ranging from cozy rooms to spacious villas.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The area where the plane disappeared, near Colombia’s border with Venezuela, is known for its mountainous terrain and poor visibility.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is not because demand for technology has disappeared.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Policing organizations such as the Police Executive Research Forum and the International Association of Chiefs of Police have recommended similar limits, warning that shooting at vehicles creates serious risks from stray gunfire or from a vehicle crashing if the driver is hit.—
Claudia Lauer,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
-
His surveillance video showed a man fixing a car outside the store when he was apparently hit by the stray bullet.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattered. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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