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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of scattering
Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2025
Videos circulating on the social media platform X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
People want devices that bring families into the same room again instead of scattering everyone onto separate screens.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Noun
Make your table eclectic with mismatched candles, linen napkins, and a scattering of pomegranates or sprigs of eucalyptus down the center.
—Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2025
Videos circulating on the social media platform X appeared to show people on the beach and nearby park scattering as multiple gunshots and police sirens could be heard.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025
Verb
How To Clean Up The Dust Use a damp microfiber cloth for dusting surfaces to effectively trap dust particles and prevent them from scattering.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
People want devices that bring families into the same room again instead of scattering everyone onto separate screens.
—Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
Noun
-
Showing little propulsive momentum at the index level and under the sway of wide dispersion among stocks and sectors, this churning phase has left investor positioning and attitudes shy of dangerous extremes.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Stable dispersions lasted for up to a month, supported by strong negative zeta potentials in both water and ethanol.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The Razorbacks have as many as 30 scholarship players in the portal, and a small handful have already announced their destinations.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Only a handful of exhausted cops, Hodges among them, stood in the breach.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Brushing prevents matting, promotes a healthy coat by dispersing natural oils and removes dead hair.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The owners need to introduce a creative concept that will prove there’s a more equitable way of dispersing revenue among the players than the current system.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Always follow product instructions exactly, and avoid spraying when beneficial insects such as bees or ladybugs are present in the area.—
Derek Carwood,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Jan. 2026
-
If detected, they can be controlled by spraying the camellias with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The system’s center is forecast to remain offshore of the Baja California Sur coast, dissipating by Saturday, according to the agency.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
-
On the forecast track, Priscilla is expected to remain offshore of the coast of Baja California Sur before dissipating.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But dispersal of attention is essential.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
-
On May 30, 1991, just five days after the North Stars had lost the Stanley Cup Final to Pittsburgh in six games, the NHL held a dispersal draft to help stock the new expansion team.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The couple was awarded citizenship in a private ceremony in the capital of Conakry on Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Chelsea Vaughn Photography The couple moved into Brian's home and started their lives together.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cameras caught a clergy member sprinkling a little holy water on the Acrisure Stadium turf about two hours before kickoff on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In the second season of Andor, Tony Gilroy continued his indictment of rising fascism, sprinkling the sci-fi tropes with grandstanding political drama, the impending doom of an action thriller, and a helping of French-resistance imagery, then tossing it all in a blender.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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