as in slivers
a small sharp piece of something (such as glass or pottery)
Watch out for the shards of glass on the floor.
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Recent Examples of shards
Researchers like me carefully separate out the tiny glass shards by sifting through the dirt and using a micromanipulator, a tool that can pick up and move microscopic grains.
—
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
Instead of being deep fried, pig skins are crisped up on the pit and chopped into shards that deliver an incredible punch of smoke beneath each jaw-rattling crunch.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
The designs for the towers’ mosaic tiles, which Gaudí constructed by hand from ceramic shards, are workshopped and finalized using 3-D-design software called Rhinoceros.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Kafka’s life and work are fragmented, so the film had to be fragmented too—piecing together shards of his fiction, his letters, and his lived experience.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
Did a Smurl sister really vomit bloody glass shards?
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The archaeologists also came across obsidian fragments and pottery shards.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In this add on, a meteor lands on a volcanic island and so Kirby is left collecting shards of a shattered crystal and preventing an eerie presence from inside the rock from escaping.
—Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
Instead of being deep fried, pig skins are crisped up on the pit and chopped into shards that deliver an incredible punch of smoke beneath each jaw-rattling crunch.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025
The designs for the towers’ mosaic tiles, which Gaudí constructed by hand from ceramic shards, are workshopped and finalized using 3-D-design software called Rhinoceros.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Kafka’s life and work are fragmented, so the film had to be fragmented too—piecing together shards of his fiction, his letters, and his lived experience.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
Did a Smurl sister really vomit bloody glass shards?
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
The archaeologists also came across obsidian fragments and pottery shards.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In this add on, a meteor lands on a volcanic island and so Kirby is left collecting shards of a shattered crystal and preventing an eerie presence from inside the rock from escaping.
—Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The reader bobs along in the author’s stream of consciousness, riding crests of despair, anger, and hilarity as Toews assembles the shards of her past to investigate her will to write, which is deeply entwined with her will to live.
—Kristen Martin, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
This classic recipe is complemented by slivers of bacon and ranch, two Southern favorites.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
-
People have seen slivers in movies like Paid in Full and read conjecture online, but beneath the surface is an entire world that hasn’t been seen before.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other meats on sticks were recalled because of possible wood fragments in the batter.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Two days later, Zeek was home with his family again, fragments of the bullet still lodged in his shoulder between a block of nerves and main blood vessel.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The small, icy world is home to water-spouting geysers that spew vapor and ice particles into space – offering a tangible clue to its subsurface saltwater ocean.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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For now, virtual particles are our best way to describe how particles behave.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pattern is a brownish batik produced by specks of tobacco.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
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After a few days’ travel, some of the specks landed on a buoy floating in the North Atlantic off the coast of French Guyana.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yes, these flecks are seeds that were once inside of a vanilla bean, confirms Britton.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Sep. 2025
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This uncanny coincidence — that the Earth’s radiation lines up with the energies of carbon dioxide’s mixed vibrational/rotational quantum state — is how this tiny trace of molecules, mere flecks in the air, completely dominates our climate.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
During a season when even the most successful night of the year is marred by a devastating injury to the team’s best player, there are still glimmers of hope for the Dolphins.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Baker wisely doesn’t attempt to write entirely in Austen’s wry style, but glimmers do peek through.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Get into the habit of cleaning up splashes and spilled liquids promptly to prevent them from absorbing into the surface, and avoid drenching the floor with excessive amounts of water when cleaning.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Sep. 2025
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The water-resistant outer material guards your essentials against splashes, while elastic straps and multiple pockets help keep your bottles upright.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kate Moss wore just a blazer and shades to the Saint Laurent show.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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For those of us with cool undertones, like olive, blue, or pink, fall shades like ash brown and jet black are some of Bailey’s favorite timeless shades.—
Essence,
Essence,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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