scintilla

noun

sin-ˈti-lə How to pronounce scintilla (audio)
Definition of scintillanext
as in glimmer
a very small amount there is not a scintilla of evidence for your outrageous claims

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 scintilla One scintilla of fentanyl coming across any border is unacceptable on any level. — NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025 There is a scintilla of potential intrigue in this revelation, and there’s a version of this narrative that sets him up as a politically interesting threat to Isla & Co. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 Where that film salvaged a scintilla of monochrome romance from the dreariness of the gig economy, this one is every bit as determined to sap the joy out of making good money at someone else’s expense. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025 Just a scintilla of resignation that no-Butler makes a Celtics series look grim. — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scintilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scintilla
  1. glimmer
  2. shred
  3. hint
  4. speck
  5. sprinkling
  6. splash
  7. bit
  8. little
Noun
  • So, with her back garden pantry set to soon look more potatoes-and-carrots than homegrown orange orchard, will the Duchess keep the all-Americana, Netflix-y glimmer and gloss?
    — Chandler Tregaskes, Vanity Fair, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That rapid growth has provided a glimmer of hope in Hollywood, where optimism has been in short supply.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of glimmer
Noun
  • The food is stellar, as is the service, but there isn’t a shred of pretence about any of it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The pork chop came with an unfamiliar vegetable, shreds of a green stalk.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • And given the lunar ice’s likely extreme age, Dell’Agnello says, tracing its history would offer hints about the origins of Earth’s water as well.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In overtime versus Penn State, Moore had a wide-open touchdown to Kenyon Sadiq on the corner route but quickly found the checkdown at the first hint of pressure.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • Hezlep House is on the market for a speck under $5 million with listing agent Nancy Valentine.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That’s way off in the distance, barely a speck on the horizon.
    — Zach Przystup, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • The majority of this year's hottest ZIP codes are located on the East Coast, with a sprinkling in the upper Midwest.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Think of it like a recipe, maybe adding flowers to a frosted cake or sprinkling powdered sugar atop a sponge cake; Stewart's rose gold hair injects a sprinkle of the same whimsy into the last few weeks of summertime.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sprinkling
Noun
  • Signing Imai this winter represented a splash for a franchise that is reluctant to spend in free agency while signaling its advancement into the Pacific Rim.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the phone is only IP55 rated—safe from splashes but not full submersion.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • Bits of pickled veg and infused butters come with the bread course, and the Parker House-like bread itself is multicolored thanks to leftover bits of beet and ramp and carrot.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes he can get pulled a little bit too far towards his near post with wide shots and open up space towards the back post.
    — Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • Miami is about a two-hour drive from Jupiter, where Haydon has four littles to keep her company — Donald III, 17; Tristan, 14; Spencer, 13; and Chloe, 12.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This version for the littles is praised for all the same reasons as the standard one.
    — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of little

Browse Nearby Words

scimitars
scintilla
scintillant
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Cite this Entry

“Scintilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scintilla. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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