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
The Roshn Stadium in Riyadh will have a roof resembling shards of crystal, while the Neom Stadium is due to be incorporated into The Line mega city.
—
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Shooting stars appear when shards of ancient comets and asteroids collide with Earth, burning up in a fiery display as they are overwhelmed by friction.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Bottles of water sold at the grocery store chain Waitrose have been recalled after food safety officials warned that the products may contain shards of glass, posing a risk of injury to anyone who opens or drinks them.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Clouds of Meyer lemon mousse, shards of sweet meringue and sweet, tiny candy pearls were served in a tangy passionfruit sauce.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
These albums possess a distinct transparency, emphasizing that we’re all made of glass, and our shards cut both internally and externally.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
At first glance, Glass Mountain looks out of place—an irregular, pale, 15-foot mound glinting in the sunlight, as if someone dumped a pile of shiny shards in the middle of the desert.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
In the process, one robber violently shoved the store’s octogenarian owner to the ground, police said, leaving him bloodied and lacerated from numerous shards of glass.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
Avoid handling hot shards or surfaces.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Shooting stars appear when shards of ancient comets and asteroids collide with Earth, burning up in a fiery display as they are overwhelmed by friction.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Bottles of water sold at the grocery store chain Waitrose have been recalled after food safety officials warned that the products may contain shards of glass, posing a risk of injury to anyone who opens or drinks them.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025
Clouds of Meyer lemon mousse, shards of sweet meringue and sweet, tiny candy pearls were served in a tangy passionfruit sauce.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
These albums possess a distinct transparency, emphasizing that we’re all made of glass, and our shards cut both internally and externally.
—Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
At first glance, Glass Mountain looks out of place—an irregular, pale, 15-foot mound glinting in the sunlight, as if someone dumped a pile of shiny shards in the middle of the desert.
—Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
In the process, one robber violently shoved the store’s octogenarian owner to the ground, police said, leaving him bloodied and lacerated from numerous shards of glass.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025
Avoid handling hot shards or surfaces.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
Clinical numbers aside, the Turbo S feels breathtakingly quick from the driver’s seat, with a tremendous wallop of thrust surging it to breakneck speeds in what feels like slivers of time.—
Basem Wasef,
Robb Report,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Wood laminate pews from the 1960s were peeling, so that slivers of wood caught on clothing.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The fragments, largely from arm and leg bones, belonged to a woman between the ages of 18 and 60 who stood just under 5 feet tall, according to forensic analysis.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
-
At the same time, mission controllers are closely analyzing the last fragments of tracking data recovered.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The amount of space between garden soil particles is so minuscule that container plants struggle to send their roots into it and extract nutrients from it.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Its particles contain a uranium kernel wrapped in three layers of carbon and ceramic materials.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Microcalcifications appear as white specks and may indicate cancer in some cases.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
3 Jan. 2026
-
There were also no visible specks of spices.—
Eddie Fontanez,
AZCentral.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
López reportedly found flecks of gold while digging wild onions, sparking an early gold rush.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
26 Dec. 2025
-
Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Directed by Olivier & Tony Award nominee Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things; Wolf Hall) and MacMillan, Every Brilliant Thing revolves around a man who looks back at his life and the glimmers of hope that carried him through.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Well, that’s where the Golden State truly glimmers.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Designed for high-performance durability, the IP65 water-resistant frames are crafted from lightweight TR90 material, ensuring a pressure-free fit that can withstand sweat and splashes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Stanley 12-Ounce Stay-Hot Camp Mug A secure, press-to-fit lid ensures that this mug locks in your drink’s temperature and prevents splashes simultaneously.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond the gong, other bits of prop comedy give them cover to dive into more controversial topics.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The live show — featuring a famed blue-skinned, apparently bald and mostly silent trio — will feature classic Blue Man Group routines plus new bits that will be exclusive to the Orlando production.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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