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
Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Physicists have used this Planck data to set upper limits on dark matter–proton scattering, and those limits look tight—too tight, possibly.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Stay adaptable without scattering your attention.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Noun
The scattering effect softens details and is simply unavoidable—there's no getting around the laws of physics.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Physicists have used this Planck data to set upper limits on dark matter–proton scattering, and those limits look tight—too tight, possibly.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 2026
Verb
The scattering effect softens details and is simply unavoidable—there's no getting around the laws of physics.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 13 May 2026
Stay adaptable without scattering your attention.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
Noun
-
The dispersion has already begun and will continue over a 120-day period.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2026
-
The result is not unity, but dispersion.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Right now the Red Sox only have a handful of guys who look likely to make an impact in the majors, and the more big bats the club has coming up, the better.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Of course, there are many examples of teams not touching the Cup and losing or grabbing a big handful of a conference trophy and winning it.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Counter-protesters showed up toward the end and shouted toward the Hernandez supporters and the two sides exchanged some words before dispersing.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
Following the formal remarks, attendees gathered for the official ribbon cutting before dispersing throughout the corridor for an open house, live jazz performances and visiting businesses across the district.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Avoid spraying when wind speeds exceed 5 miles per hour and use a low spray pressure to increase droplet size, as larger particles are less likely to move with the wind.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
In the end, efforts to cool the crippled tank by spraying water on it were believed to have helped slow down the reaction enough to prevent an explosion or massive rupture in the tank that could have sent toxic chemicals flowing into waterways and the ocean.—
Iris Kwok,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Two dissipating systems, one each from the Pacific and the Atlantic, were blamed in part for the deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas in July 2025.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
The structure brings visitors below ground, from lightness to darkness, with sounds slowly dissipating.—
Solvej Schou,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The Texas investment comes on top of an additional $21 million investment to convert an existing facility in Metapa, Mexico, into an NWS sterile fly dispersal facility.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Humidity promotes its growth, while dry days facilitate spore dispersal.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The couple hard-launched their relationship in 2019 with their first red carpet appearance at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in LA.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
Wyatt and Valdez, who live nearby, said that Baker was a neighbor of theirs for roughly six months a couple of years ago.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Leaving wet grass clippings on your lawn or sprinkling them over garden beds can create a breeding ground for fungal diseases and block airflow, creating a layer of humidity, says Handley.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
22 May 2026
-
And Crawford has been sprinkling in a secret catchphrase no one has caught on to yet.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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