1
as in dispersion
an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in handful
a small number
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dispersing
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 spraying
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 dissipating
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 scattering
David Bressan, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Blue Ghost’s Lunar Sunrise This Raleigh scattering sees blue and violet short-wavelength light strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere and scatter while long-wavelength red and orange light bends onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
Cluster artillery popped open, scattering scores of lethal submunitions.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Noun
This description is a consequence of the Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere, in conjunction with the reflection and scattering across the expanse of the ocean.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
Blue Ghost’s Lunar Sunrise This Raleigh scattering sees blue and violet short-wavelength light strike atoms in Earth's atmosphere and scatter while long-wavelength red and orange light bends onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
When preparing your impressive dessert spread this holiday season, consider scattering in a few of these limited-time cookies to add a touch of color to your platter.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024
Cluster artillery popped open, scattering scores of lethal submunitions.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
Noun
-
And rendering specialists need it to accurately simulate real-world optical effects like dispersion (rainbows from prisms, for example) and fluorescence.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Mar. 2025
-
This is the dispersion of aerosols like fireworks or industrial pollutants that are inhibited by surface-level temperatures either the same or higher in the atmosphere up to a couple thousand feet. .—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
The Arizona Republic,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The particular intersection of communities depicted here (LGBTQ and Muslim), as well as a handful of Sapphic scenes for the ages, gives the drama an undeniable jolt of freshness.—
Jon Frosch,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
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While Pompeo's Meredith has narrated the entirety of season 21, she's only made a handful of in-person appearances at Grey Sloan.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
Verb
-
There are already laws in Florida governing weather modification, which can include cloud seeding—the enhancement of precipitation by dispersing substances into clouds that encourage the formation of rain or snow.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
-
These pollutants can come from a variety of sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial activity, wildfires, and weather patterns that prevent pollution from dispersing.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Researchers in Australia are using Gaia to learn how mosquitoes colonized islands in the South Pacific, while teams in Michigan and Ohio are using it to understand the history and dispersal of the Massasauga rattlesnake.—
Stephanie Edwards,
Discover Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Each prescribed fire operation follows a prescribed fire burn plan, which considers temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This has not been the type of start Wood has enjoyed the last couple of weeks.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2025
-
Gilbert decided to capture their reactions on camera with the footage ending up on the couple's @acouple.gs Instagram and TikTok pages.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Verb
-
The two 16-year-old girls who were lost overnight after disappearing while paddleboarding have been released from the hospital.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Can’t Look Away, in part, focuses on the Social Media Victims Law Center and its lawsuit against Snapchat on behalf of families whose children met tragic ends after consuming counterfeit prescription drugs acquired through the disappearing messaging app run by parent Snap.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As a strong scatter market nearly always presages a robust upfront bazaar, Paramount co-CEO Chris McCarthy noted during last week’s earnings Q&A.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2025
-
Some $2 billion in advance bookings was left on the table that year, although a buoyant scatter market helped claw back a good deal of those dollars beginning with the fourth quarter of 2009.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The choir leaned over him offering words of motivation, and rain doused the flames as Kirk Franklin marched up to a stage beating back smoke with an orange glow, like sunlight dissolving cloud cover.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
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Even some downstate Republicans oppose the movement, arguing that dissolving townships will lead to tax hikes.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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