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
John Carlisle, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
Nearly 300 million years ago China was a scattering of islands separated by the ancient Tethys and Asian oceans.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 13 June 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
Onlookers helped gather the scattering sheets for him and stuffed them, disheveled, back into the folder.
—John Carlisle, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
Nearly 300 million years ago China was a scattering of islands separated by the ancient Tethys and Asian oceans.
—Evan Howell, Scientific American, 13 June 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
-
For example, vaccine distribution involves intricate logistics and cold storage planning, strict safety and compliance requirements and optimizing for both consolidation (such as co-locating compatible products) and dispersion (like geographic and weather risks).—
Michael Amori,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Monuments from the Holocene Humid Period in the Dhofar were built in a single episode by groups requiring as many as seven strong men, whereas the subsequent aridification of the climate and resulting dispersion of the population encouraged the creation of accretive monuments.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
Global Deployment of Hydrogen Trucks Chile joins a handful of other countries who have deployed hydrogen fuel cell trucks for long-haul trucking, including the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, and several members of the European Union.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The fight, which was set up over a month ago on Smackdown and was heavily promoted since then, marked Jelly Roll’s first official match as a wrestler after making a handful of appearances at WWE events over the past year.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 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
-
Winds out of the northeast are bringing Canadian wildfire smoke over the entirety of Michigan − and high pressure and a stable layer of air is keeping the smoke near the surface and limiting dispersal.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
While the procession has ended, Broad Street remains temporarily closed to vehicles and trams as city officials manage the dispersal of attendees and begin restoring normal traffic flow.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
Guests seemed to enjoy eating as couples or with friends.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Bowl of oatmeal, couple glasses of water, watching a bird fly, some quiet moments in the bathroom.—
Zach Przystup,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
While remote work isn’t disappearing, the era of full-time remote freedom may be ending for many workers.—
Jason Wingard,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Over the decades that follow, other children from the orphanage scatter across the world, creating a diasporic network linked by personal and national history; none of them are able to find or make a true home in Japan’s insular society.—
Katie Kitamura,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface.—
John Tufts,
The Courier-Journal,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 19 Aug. 2025.
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