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
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 scattered
Sagi Eliyahu,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
At Mariposa Market in Willits, grocery items, wine bottles and other merchandise tumbled from shelves, leaving aisles littered with broken glass and scattered products.
—
Sofia Williams,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2026
Friday, a weakening ridge and an approaching front will allow scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop.
—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Share a draft, then ask a focused question so collaborators offer helpful edits rather than scattered opinions.
—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
March 21 – April 19 One direct message could turn scattered effort into actual teamwork.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
Midwest The Midwest will see some scattered rain on Friday.
—
Kyle David,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
The conjecture says that even within enormous, scattered and chaotic assemblages of points existing across innumerable dimensions, simple, orderly shapes will inevitably crop up.
—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
So how do teams turn scattered tactics into a coherent system?
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Greg Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
The team had a map of patients who’d had allergic reactions to cetuximab—they were scattered across the Southeast, from Virginia to southern Missouri.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Important details are often scattered across different systems, written in overly technical language and delivered in ways that don't match how employees actually work.
—
Sabra Sciolaro,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The remainder of Team Black is scattered.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
In the temple's crumbling courtyard, little remains… mostly empty pedestals scattered among the Sralao trees.
—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Declared a World Heritage Site in 2023, the mounds are scattered across five different sites around Chillicothe, Ohio.
—
Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
When the bullhorn blared and the stretching ended, more than 80 Falcons players clad in red and white scattered in different directions.
—
Daniel Flick,
AJC.com,
27 June 2026
Whether those nodes sit close together or are scattered throughout space has no significance.
—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
26 June 2026
Adjective
If your data is messy, scattered or stale, the AI output fails.
—
Sagi Eliyahu,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
At Mariposa Market in Willits, grocery items, wine bottles and other merchandise tumbled from shelves, leaving aisles littered with broken glass and scattered products.
—
Sofia Williams,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2026
Friday, a weakening ridge and an approaching front will allow scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop.
—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Share a draft, then ask a focused question so collaborators offer helpful edits rather than scattered opinions.
—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
March 21 – April 19 One direct message could turn scattered effort into actual teamwork.
—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
Midwest The Midwest will see some scattered rain on Friday.
—
Kyle David,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
The conjecture says that even within enormous, scattered and chaotic assemblages of points existing across innumerable dimensions, simple, orderly shapes will inevitably crop up.
—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
So how do teams turn scattered tactics into a coherent system?
—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
Verb
Maps were also given to visitors to track down the 10 dragon eggs scattered throughout the downtown area for prizes.
—
Greg Harutunian,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
The team had a map of patients who’d had allergic reactions to cetuximab—they were scattered across the Southeast, from Virginia to southern Missouri.
—
Burkhard Bilger,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Important details are often scattered across different systems, written in overly technical language and delivered in ways that don't match how employees actually work.
—
Sabra Sciolaro,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
The remainder of Team Black is scattered.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 June 2026
In the temple's crumbling courtyard, little remains… mostly empty pedestals scattered among the Sralao trees.
—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
28 June 2026
Declared a World Heritage Site in 2023, the mounds are scattered across five different sites around Chillicothe, Ohio.
—
Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
When the bullhorn blared and the stretching ended, more than 80 Falcons players clad in red and white scattered in different directions.
—
Daniel Flick,
AJC.com,
27 June 2026
Whether those nodes sit close together or are scattered throughout space has no significance.
—
Leila Sloman,
Quanta Magazine,
26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattered
Adjective
-
Thankfully, there are self-aware jabs as well, and it’s all couched in a character- and ensemble-centric ending that has hearty portions that help the random sour bite go down smoothly.
-
Their choice of 14er was not random.
Verb
-
After October 7th, thousands were rounded up, bused to Ramallah, and dispersed across West Bank cities.
-
This only works when authorization, validation, business rules and state-transition controls are enforced at the service boundary, instead of being dispersed across user interfaces or deferred to downstream systems.
Verb
-
Police believe the woman sprayed the bear spray into the system after some sort of dispute.
-
Sandy Shannon, 62, a guest at the hotel, said a woman was sprayed on the fourth floor, with two housekeepers coming to her aid.
Verb
-
For him, the pain was searing, but dissipated much more quickly.
-
Cristina moved along the coast of Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador, but dissipated before making landfall in El Salvador.
Adjective
-
Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia's police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
-
Hundreds of people have been detained and Serbia’s police was accused of excessive force and arbitrary arrests.
Verb
-
These, like many of the Guerlains, are small bottles, sprinkled throughout his collection among the factices.
-
Each side gets sprinkled with salt and sugar to enhance the flavor.
Verb
-
Before Black rodeos disappeared from the local calendar, cowboys and cowgirls from around the country regularly traveled to Kansas City to compete.
-
In that moment, Hurst said, her imposter syndrome disappeared.
Adjective
-
Sen added that even sparklers can pose a risk to children, which burn at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and can set clothes on fire with stray sparks.
-
Then a few days in, a single glass of water or a stray ice cube sends you straight back to the hotel bathroom for the rest of the vacation.
Cite this Entry
“Scattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattered. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
