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
William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Debris appears scattered across the tarmac as emergency crews rush toward the wreckage.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Another difficulty is that the deaths are scattered.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
Partygoers scattered as police and paramedics arrived.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Up to 95 percent of a brand’s emissions sit outside its direct control, scattered across a messy web of suppliers, mills, logistics partners, and raw-material sources.
—Gus Bartholomew, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
She and her siblings were separated and scattered into foster homes during the immigration process.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
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
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
At Inhotim there are five miles of trails, 24 galleries, and 29 site-specific works scattered around a 350-acre botanical garden.
—William O'Connor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Debris appears scattered across the tarmac as emergency crews rush toward the wreckage.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Another difficulty is that the deaths are scattered.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
Partygoers scattered as police and paramedics arrived.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025
Up to 95 percent of a brand’s emissions sit outside its direct control, scattered across a messy web of suppliers, mills, logistics partners, and raw-material sources.
—Gus Bartholomew, Sourcing Journal, 3 Nov. 2025
She and her siblings were separated and scattered into foster homes during the immigration process.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattered
Adjective
-
Rumors have swirled that Jaramillo was at the center of an ambush or that his murder was part of planned retribution, but Cordero-Stutz reaffirmed that his death was a random encounter that could have happened to any deputy that day.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
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This is the random bunch of misfits Courteney will have to transform into a team competitive enough to make it to nationals, and that will surely start to form one big family along the way.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In March, some hard-line proponents of the hijab staged a protest—and were dispersed by security forces, a rare reversal of fortunes.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
-
For the festival, more than 50 vendor booths and artists, as well as 11 wineries and a distillery, were dispersed across the grounds.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Asking your local nursery to procure plants that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides, which can harm monarchs in every stage of life, is another actionable step.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
-
An attachment to the machine sprayed the plaster, specifically mixed on-site and fed to the printer, covering large swaths of the walls and accelerating the time needed for the task.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Any prospect of Republicans having a serious chance of keeping the Old Dominion this year was, at best, a mirage that dissipated months ago.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Nov. 2025
-
With a muted atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium amidst despondent home support, West Ham’s opportunity was a potential mood-changer whose energy dissipated in the rattling of the woodwork.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Landor should ahve been protected by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, passed unanimously by Congress in 2000 to prevent state and local prisons from placing arbitrary or unnecessary restrictions on religious practices.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The notion of a non-arbitrary, standard length got a boost in the early days of physics, with the idea of a length that could be held to a standard that anyone on Earth could adhere to.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Other Latin artists are sprinkled throughout the categories.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The initial run of shows sprinkled 12 dates over the course of May 2026, kicking off May 6 and running through May 30.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Aims of the science include learning how the oceans and magnetic field of Venus disappeared, and how plate tectonics changed the terrain.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
After Brown disappeared, the owner of the bakery, Alice Lombardi, told CBS News that customers had come into the store and cried.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
More than 110,000 people have watched that video so far, and to this day, a stray commenter still occasionally sees fit to leave a snide remark.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
This includes stray rounds, shells, or empty casings.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattered. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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