as in handfuls
a small number
played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disperses
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 sprays
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 dissipates
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scatters
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Weed scatters and falls between the wood slats.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Everyone kind of scatters, but the people who are there every day are the actors.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Here, laser light is shone onto body tissues and the unique pattern of light that scatters back is analyzed, similar to how different materials reflect light in distinctive ways.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 4 Dec. 2025
Before everyone scatters, Haley and Alex pull one last prank on Luke.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Nov. 2025
Tech companies are really just groups of talented people working toward a common goal, and a company’s failure usefully scatters them.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Stargazers will likely see the moon take on a yellow-orange hue during moonrise, as Earth's atmosphere scatters the shorter, bluer wavelengths of moonlight, while allowing the longer, redder wavelengths to journey through relatively unhindered.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The moon appeared reddish due to the total lunar eclipse, which scatters sunflight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Yes, God confuses the language and scatters everyone, thereby creating linguistic and cultural diversity.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
Their innovation, called retina E-paper, uses nanoparticles to control how light scatters, achieving lifelike color reproduction that can be tuned electrically.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Weed scatters and falls between the wood slats.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Everyone kind of scatters, but the people who are there every day are the actors.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
Everyone scatters — Zoë, Dinah, and Sarah are okay, while Malik is more compromised.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Here, laser light is shone onto body tissues and the unique pattern of light that scatters back is analyzed, similar to how different materials reflect light in distinctive ways.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 4 Dec. 2025
Before everyone scatters, Haley and Alex pull one last prank on Luke.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Nov. 2025
Tech companies are really just groups of talented people working toward a common goal, and a company’s failure usefully scatters them.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Stargazers will likely see the moon take on a yellow-orange hue during moonrise, as Earth's atmosphere scatters the shorter, bluer wavelengths of moonlight, while allowing the longer, redder wavelengths to journey through relatively unhindered.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
The moon appeared reddish due to the total lunar eclipse, which scatters sunflight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Yes, God confuses the language and scatters everyone, thereby creating linguistic and cultural diversity.
—John Fugelsang
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatters
Noun
-
Sprinkle a few handfuls of wood ashes around your hydrangea in early spring and water it in.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Police said three masked suspects committed that robbery and pepper-sprayed an employee before escaping with handfuls of merchandise.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The small piece disperses fuel quickly and allows for high efficiency.—
Liam Rappleye,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
To combat the spread of the flies, the USDA disperses sterile flies into the area to stop the mating, a scientific method known as sterile insect technique (SIT).—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The warmer temperatures also mean ski areas have been unable to run snowmaking equipment, which sprays mist into the air to create snow in freezing temperatures.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
21 Nov. 2025
-
If this is the version of Smith that sprays the ball around to his playmakers and threw four touchdowns against the Jaguars last week, the Raiders can hang.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Why Light Distance Matters Like sound, light intensity dissipates or gets weaker farther from the source.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Dec. 2025
-
The vapor dissipates rather fast, and does not really allow for an effective way of deterring many pests.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Reagan and Wyman were among the most powerful couples in Hollywood at the time of adoption, having met on the set of the 1938 military comedy Brother Rat, and with Wyman winning an Oscar for her performance in the gritty drama Johnny Belinda in 1948.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
-
In the 1960s, Weiss, the sociologist, published research on married couples who moved to the Boston area from another state.—
Jenny Singer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Much like Knives Out, the movie takes a much more lighthearted approach and sprinkles humor throughout.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
15 Dec. 2025
-
The shareable treat features Galactic Brownie ice cream, fudge drizzle, M&Ms candies, and Halloween sprinkles atop a double fudge brownie crust.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Teach digital boundaries such as reminding children that nothing online truly disappears; screenshots and shares can happen instantly.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The Google Pixel Buds Pro handles noise cancellation and audio processing at the same time, with its custom Tensor A1 chip, meaning your music stays pristine while background noise disappears.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Rather than the stiff alien chitchat that dots his own screenplays, the characters in The Favourite trade the witty, venomous bon mots of The Great creator Tony McNamara.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The $3,211 per month maintenance fees cover a part-time doorman and a fitness studio, while the location provides easy access to Madison Square Park plus all the shopping and dining that dots the area.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatters. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share