SHARDS Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

shards

noun

plural of shard

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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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 shards Each year, countless shards of this ancient comet collide with our wandering planet. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026 The man, armed with a large cooking knife and shards of glass, appeared injured, Sylvia said, but continued to hold off officers from the rooftop while firefighters worked. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 When the smoke cleared on October 4, 2024, Beloozerov’s body lay splayed out on the pavement amid shards of glass from his car window. — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Scientists found them by dissolving away the mud and counting microscopic glass shards, remnants of the molten magma the eruption atomized into ultra-fine and rapidly cooling dust. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2026 As he was pulled back up, shop owner and witness Anna Medina said, his right leg was cut by the shards of glass. — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 Fragrant curls of smoke rise through shards of sunlight as Father Mesrop performs the liturgy in his rich baritone, joined by eleven worshippers—eight adults and three tiny children. — Literary Hub, 30 July 2026 Others insist on seeds — poppy, sesame — or shards of onion or salt. — ABC News, 21 July 2026 Over the years, mounds, pottery shards and other relics of Native American settlements that once dotted the swamp have been discovered. — Drew Kann, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards

Noun

Combining the compelling crunch and taste of a macaroon cookie with slivers of chocolate in a dreamy churn, Toasted Coconut Chip won Flavor of the Year in 2026.

— Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2026
This flaky white fish looks like a gourmet dish when served over a bed of couscous and dressed with mixed greens and colorful radish slivers.

— Jasmine Thompson, Midwest Living, 25 July 2026

Definition of slivers

Noun

Drones or fragments of them were found on Romanian territory 27 times so far this year, the ministry said, a significant increase compared with the 16 such discoveries in all of 2025.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fragments

Noun

According to the scientists, the EIC will circulate two beams of particles (ions and electrons) in opposite directions.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
This code, developed at Switzerland’s University of Bern over two decades, is designed to simulate collisions between asteroids, comets and planets, and analyze the impact by looking at millions of individual particles involved in each scenario.

— Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of particles

Noun

Amid his vast responsibilities running all the departments in the Giants’ front office, Zaidi still found the time to pore over MLB Draft League statistics and look for flecks of gold.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Little flecks of roasted sweet potato pepper the cake, and a tangy cream cheese glaze is a perfect complement to the warm spices and crunchy topping.

— Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of flecks

Noun

There are glimmers of success in almost every advanced country, including the United States, at agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, which has finally begun to modernize its woefully out-of-date technology.

— Jennifer Pahlka, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
But take a closer look and the report actually provides glimmers of hope.

— TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of glimmers

Noun

The spill-resistant keyboard is also able to shrug off any accidental spills or water splashes that come its way.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026
Clean both indoor and outdoor garbage cans monthly with dish soap and vinegar to remove food debris and splashes that can attract flies.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of splashes

Noun

My most memorable taste, however, was the day’s market catch, a mix of little-neck clams, octopus, and tilefish, served in a bowl of savory brodo made from leftover fish bones and bits.

— Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
McCollough thought Watts was a comedic genius, and the pair shared a similar sense of humor, establishing their own bits and improvisational riffs.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of bits

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“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of shards

noun

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