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

Although the wealthy Gulf oil states and small slivers of Arab elites flourished within this system, for most people the American order meant only violence, hopelessness, and deprivation.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of slivers

Noun

Ancient dirty dishes University of South Carolina archaeologist Adam King and his colleagues found fragments of ancient DNA from Theobroma cacao in the inner surfaces of potsherds from long-ago feasts at Etowah.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
The study combined technological, petrographic, and geochemical analyses of pottery fragments recovered from a kiln at Qurayyah.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 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

The soup itself has an almost lemon curd-like acidity and sweetness, and it’s laced with flecks of fresh corn and tiny diced pieces of zucchini.

— Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
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

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 company has built a reputation in the investment world for backing companies that have made big splashes, including Uber, Waymo and Discord.

— Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 21 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 splashes

Noun

The track, which blends smooth R&B vocals with contemporary pop production, came almost a decade after bits of the song first leaked on social media.

— Caché McClay, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Lechter selected the best bits and organized them into six lessons spread over 10 chapters.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of bits

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“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of shards

noun

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