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
Hall had shards of glass in his chest when he was found, per Utilma Hora.
—
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
In 2020, Ross became mostly blind in one eye after repeatedly getting metal shards in it and developing an infection in his cornea.
—Andrew Jones, CBS News, 15 June 2026
From the construction debris and pottery shards, in Hadrian’s day, the structure appeared to archaeologists to have been abandoned.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Once ground was completely covered with shards of tableware, folks journeyed from their seats into the center of the room for more dancing and merrymaking.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
It's made up of exoskeletons of tiny marine animals and contains sharp shards that penetrate ants' bodies and dispatch them.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 10 June 2026
The sky has shattered, shards fill the alleys.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Thursday night’s detonation of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket during a static-fire test produced a spectacular fireball over Florida, sending shards of the rocket flying far and wide, into the sea and across the coastal scrubland nearby.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Up close, the design featured far more detail, boasting peek-a-boo lace cups and hundreds of shards of stone and crystals.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 May 2026
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
In 2020, Ross became mostly blind in one eye after repeatedly getting metal shards in it and developing an infection in his cornea.
—Andrew Jones, CBS News, 15 June 2026
From the construction debris and pottery shards, in Hadrian’s day, the structure appeared to archaeologists to have been abandoned.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Once ground was completely covered with shards of tableware, folks journeyed from their seats into the center of the room for more dancing and merrymaking.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 June 2026
It's made up of exoskeletons of tiny marine animals and contains sharp shards that penetrate ants' bodies and dispatch them.
—Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 10 June 2026
The sky has shattered, shards fill the alleys.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Thursday night’s detonation of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket during a static-fire test produced a spectacular fireball over Florida, sending shards of the rocket flying far and wide, into the sea and across the coastal scrubland nearby.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Up close, the design featured far more detail, boasting peek-a-boo lace cups and hundreds of shards of stone and crystals.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
This white and pink ombré set is elevated with gold slivers to outline each nail.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
15 June 2026
-
Arranged over the top are dollops of crema and slivers of pickled yellow squash.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The lithosphere, however, is not in one piece and exists like a puzzle or series of fragments, according to the USGS.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
The uppermost part of this orbit crosses the orbit of the International Space Station, but aerodynamic drag will quickly pull all the debris fragments below the ISS.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Cool the griddle completely and wipe up any rust particles or debris with paper towels.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
With a 9-liter filter basket and wide intake area, it’s designed to capture everything from fine particles to large leaves, requiring less emptying and freeing up more pool time.—
V BRAND STORIES,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Flash frames, scratches and specks of dust pop up randomly on the screen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
This looks like tiny black or reddish-brown specks that resemble coffee grounds.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
But flecks of green were visible throughout the stadium as Algeria fans made their presence known as well.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
There are also flecks of red embedded throughout the pattern.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
This cool pearl blonde glimmers against a buttery backdrop for a sparkling champagne effect.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
Still, there are some glimmers of hope.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Many of the paintings include a portrait of a Pullman porter or a maid surrounded by splashes of color and fragments of archival documents — newspaper clippings, timesheets, employee records.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
-
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,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The pieces are machine washable — a practical necessity for unavoidable spills and stains in the kitchen — and the cloth bits are made from 100 percent cotton.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
Irregular, edges catch oil differently, crisping into jagged, craggly bits while softer interior pockets hold onto dressing, broth, or sauce—the kind of varied texture that makes each bite its own.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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