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
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Recent Examples of scattered
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
Prediction markets can turn scattered information about elections, inflation, corporate earnings and geopolitical risks into useful forecasts.
—James Broughel, Forbes.com, 20 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
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 June 2026
There are some chairs and picnic tables scattered about, but bring your own seating and go early for a prime location.
—Staff Author, Southern Living, 22 June 2026
Conservative policies and gentrification scattered those spaces over time.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
Her dopamine coaching stops them being scattered, focused on the nonessential, and hands them back their time and attention.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
There are Lutheran schools for elementary and middle school students scattered across the region, but high school is the missing gap.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Video from the scene shows at least 100 evidence markers, multiple shattered car windows, and a bus stop hit by the gunfire with glass scattered on the sidewalk.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 20 June 2026
Ryne Nelson scattered nine hits over seven efficient innings, while closer Paul Sewald survived Donovan Walton’s two-out homer in the ninth to lock down his 18th save in 19 chances.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Empty bottles — Ace of Spades, Moet & Chandon and Michelob Ultra — are scattered across the table in the center of a room far too small for such a life-sized occasion.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
Adjective
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
Prediction markets can turn scattered information about elections, inflation, corporate earnings and geopolitical risks into useful forecasts.
—James Broughel, Forbes.com, 20 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
There are a few, scattered references to female gladiators.
—Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
In Texas, an 18-wheeler dropped $800,000 in dimes onto a highway in April 2025, sending crews scrambling as coins scattered across the roadway.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 23 June 2026
There are some chairs and picnic tables scattered about, but bring your own seating and go early for a prime location.
—Staff Author, Southern Living, 22 June 2026
Conservative policies and gentrification scattered those spaces over time.
—Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
Her dopamine coaching stops them being scattered, focused on the nonessential, and hands them back their time and attention.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
There are Lutheran schools for elementary and middle school students scattered across the region, but high school is the missing gap.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Video from the scene shows at least 100 evidence markers, multiple shattered car windows, and a bus stop hit by the gunfire with glass scattered on the sidewalk.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 20 June 2026
Ryne Nelson scattered nine hits over seven efficient innings, while closer Paul Sewald survived Donovan Walton’s two-out homer in the ninth to lock down his 18th save in 19 chances.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Empty bottles — Ace of Spades, Moet & Chandon and Michelob Ultra — are scattered across the table in the center of a room far too small for such a life-sized occasion.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattered
Adjective
-
There’s a growing movement to bring back small rituals, like lighting candles, using cloth napkins, pulling out the good china on a random weeknight, and saying a toast before the first bite.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
Candles, cloth napkins, the good china on a random Wednesday, a quick toast before the first bite.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
No arrests were reported, and police said the group dispersed without incident.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
More than 50 years after the band dispersed, the Beatles legacy has of course lived on.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
While chrome is stronger than the clear coat sprayed onto aluminum wheels, the natural grit of polish can still harm your finish.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
-
Five cranes were brought in for lighting and equipment, and the fire department sprayed down the street to give it a mystical glow.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
As alibis and polygraph tests dissipated police theories and the case moved from one investigator to another, newspaper interviews from the ’80s and ’90s capture the family’s desperate plea for answers melt into somber acceptance and hope that Carla wasn’t somewhere out there suffering.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
After the three-hour event, which culminated in stirring speeches by the Obamas and an all-star musical finale, much of the crowd and the media dissipated.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
The anniversary feels arbitrary to Tran, a math teacher.—
Terry Tang,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
And not simply the tariff policies, but the arbitrary on and off nature of them.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
The town is home to 35 different accommodations sprinkled along oceanfront El Mar Drive and its surrounding streets.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
-
Dolshun recommends diatomaceous earth, a natural alternative to harsher insecticides that comes as a powdery substance that can be easily sprinkled in problem areas.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The discovery came following a six-day search for Elena Katherine Moore, 39, a personal trainer who officials said disappeared Thursday evening after leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Lexington.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
Yet as the flames consumed the duplex at 14th Street and Jones on a sunny Sunday afternoon earlier this month, and seemingly half the island showed up to console and help the residents, Walker disappeared.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Near the end, an automatic volley machine shot out pink tennis balls that bounced onto stray drum cymbals spilled around the room.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
18 June 2026
-
In Charlotte, there aren’t specific regulations about maintaining stray cats, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control Communications and Outreach Manager Melissa Knicely.—
Eva Flowe
June 18,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattered. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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