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
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2026
This disturbance could provide a scattering of mainly light showers as early as Tuesday morning.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Birds have no real purpose in the game other than to notify nearby players that someone just walked through a flock, scattering them into the air.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Noun
The crux of contention, Nemmen says, is just how much ionized gas a cocoon would hold, and thus how much electron scattering would interfere with measuring a lurking black hole’s actual mass.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2026
This disturbance could provide a scattering of mainly light showers as early as Tuesday morning.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
This is the first evidence that this quark-gluon plasma reacts to particles speeding through it in the same way that liquid does, splashing and rippling, acting as a single unified liquid rather than randomly scattering as individual particles would.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Birds have no real purpose in the game other than to notify nearby players that someone just walked through a flock, scattering them into the air.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
Noun
-
To minimize chromatic aberration, the smart telescope is outfitted with a four-element apochromatic lens with extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This kind of dispersion from advanced markets like Japan to emerging economies like South Africa illustrates why a global lens matters.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there's just a single security checkpoint.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there’s just a single security checkpoint.—
Rio Yamat,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Videos shared online show the moments after the situation escalated, with groups of teens running and dispersing outside the building.—
Nicole Nielsen,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Fit for purpose Next-gen designs could boost those gains by dispersing battery material around drone frames, electric motors, or other surfaces.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Images and videos flooded social media of immigration law enforcement’s violent encounters with protesters, including shooting rubber bullets, spraying chemical agents at close range and smashing car windows.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The scale of the war effort had necessitated the creation of a health infrastructure on American soil—spraying for mosquitoes near the front lines in the Pacific wouldn’t mean anything if soldiers caught malaria at home before deployment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But one of those clusters later turned out to be a glitch in the data, and another only lasted for a few days before completely dissipating.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The recent snap of cold weather across Central Florida appears to be dissipating.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hainan gibbons are arboreal frugivores – tree-dwelling animals that consume mostly fruit – and are essential for forest ecosystems on the island because of their role in seed dispersal and canopy balance, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Police should give demonstrators clear instructions concerning the dispersal order before they are arrested or charged with any crime, according to ACLU.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The property has changed hands multiple times over the last couple of decades.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Spohr died after being shot once in the head during the burglary at the couple’s Homewood residence on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, the victims’ family has said.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then, to complete the deep clean, Lane suggests, sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot cycle with no detergent.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Player props have become such a big and fun part of betting on the big game, so here are 11 that are worth sprinkling a few bucks on.—
KC Joyner,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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