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
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Recent Examples of scatters
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
In a cluttered room, that beam scatters in every direction.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Even a hit isn’t clean—some materials are highly reflective, meaning laser energy bounces off the drone and scatters, potentially causing blinding.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The Problem of Bureaucracy in Scaling Enterprises Business expansion scatters work across codebases, project management tools, chat platforms, and docs.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
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
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
This happens because its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters away the shorter blue wavelengths and lets the longer red tones pass through, an effect known as Rayleigh scattering.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
As the light journeys along the fiber, little by little, some scatters off the glass molecules themselves and is lost.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But Orlandoans who, in years to come, will see and admire the graceful little tree that scatters yellow blooms in the Leu gardens, will know of one that did.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Cosmos is a low-maintenance annual that grows quickly and scatters seed widely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Most of the data simply scatters into the void.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
This reddish color, often referred to as a blood moon, happens because Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, allowing the longer-wavelength red light to reach the moon.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The remaining light that does reach the Moon is filtered through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters shorter wavelengths and allows red and orange tones to pass through.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Pea gravel shifts and scatters.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
In a cluttered room, that beam scatters in every direction.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Even a hit isn’t clean—some materials are highly reflective, meaning laser energy bounces off the drone and scatters, potentially causing blinding.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The Problem of Bureaucracy in Scaling Enterprises Business expansion scatters work across codebases, project management tools, chat platforms, and docs.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
The youth suddenly drops to the ground as the crowd scatters, the video shows.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
This happens because its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters away the shorter blue wavelengths and lets the longer red tones pass through, an effect known as Rayleigh scattering.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
As the light journeys along the fiber, little by little, some scatters off the glass molecules themselves and is lost.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But Orlandoans who, in years to come, will see and admire the graceful little tree that scatters yellow blooms in the Leu gardens, will know of one that did.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Cosmos is a low-maintenance annual that grows quickly and scatters seed widely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Most of the data simply scatters into the void.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
This reddish color, often referred to as a blood moon, happens because Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, allowing the longer-wavelength red light to reach the moon.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
The remaining light that does reach the Moon is filtered through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters shorter wavelengths and allows red and orange tones to pass through.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatters
Noun
-
To begin, lab assistant Julia Butac empties a burlap bag of beans into a bin and starts to sift them a couple handfuls at a time, removing anything that isn't a full bean.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 May 2026
-
Doctors, only with bombs bursting in air, twin eagles threatening, soldiers flying, a robed Trump healing, handfuls of white light and the miracle of thick hair no longer in need of a combover.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rodighiero and her team already have their suspicions about how the red and blue monsters can coexist in the early universe—perhaps the blue galaxies are in fact born from the red ones as the dust disperses.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Once shots are heard in the video, the crowd quickly disperses or takes cover.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The violent collision sprays a jet of electrons, positrons, and other particles down into a cloud at a random angle.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
-
When it is finished, maybe a year from now, Bayfront Park will be the city’s front yard, a gathering place to celebrate culture and be dazzled by technology -- laser beams that shoot into the evening sky and a fountain that sprays 60 feet high.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The cedar scent in mulch dissipates over time, which is why most landscape companies recommend reapplying fresh mulch every three months.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
What to look for in an arnica gel Some arnica gels have a slight odor that dissipates when exposed to the air and rubbed into your skin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rival ranch owner Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) and her family won’t make things easy, but Rip and Beth remain one of the toughest couples on television.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
Contributions are not tax-deductible, and this year can be made by couples filing jointly with taxable income up to $242,000 ($153,000 for singles) and are limited to $7,500 a year ($8,600 for those 50 and older).—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Use a watering can or hose that sprinkles the water to evenly distribute it among the seeds.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But for every shirt bearing a slogan, there were ten cheeks covered in (biodegradable) glitter like the kind that Diggins sprinkles on her face before every race.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Whatever baggage attaches to Ben Lerner and his novels disappears, and what is left is the experience, for me, a powerful, even indelible experience.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Across from it, the fitting area disappears behind Schumacher curtains patterned with soft florals and a geometric trim.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Japanese linens top the bed, and designer furniture dots the living space.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2026
-
Barnett dots up Knight for a 57-yard catch-and-run.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatters. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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