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
For context, Juszczyk is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound behemoth whose knees probably feel like broken shards of glass at this point in his life.
—
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
These ice chunks, which are also conductors, can stretch into shards.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
Suddenly, the plane’s landing gear tires struck the truck, shaking it and sending shards of glass flying.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
Keep any broken terra-cotta pots to use as drainage shards in the bottom.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
The 39-year-old artist was finally gaining recognition abroad for his contorted, geometric sculptures made of thousands of hand-cut mirror shards reaching as high as 27 feet.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Yes, people still get ripped out of a hole in the fuselage like always, but not until after they’ve been obliterated by flying snack carts and diced apart by shards of broken glass.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
The plainclothes detectives, who were wearing NYPD vests, then dragged Brown on the floor, over shards of broken glass, to the front of the store, ordering him to stop resisting.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
Expect plenty of flying shards and other obstacles to make the free-for-all more frenetic.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
These ice chunks, which are also conductors, can stretch into shards.
—Quanta Magazine, 6 May 2026
Suddenly, the plane’s landing gear tires struck the truck, shaking it and sending shards of glass flying.
—Sarah Dewberry, CNN Money, 4 May 2026
Keep any broken terra-cotta pots to use as drainage shards in the bottom.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
The 39-year-old artist was finally gaining recognition abroad for his contorted, geometric sculptures made of thousands of hand-cut mirror shards reaching as high as 27 feet.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Yes, people still get ripped out of a hole in the fuselage like always, but not until after they’ve been obliterated by flying snack carts and diced apart by shards of broken glass.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
The plainclothes detectives, who were wearing NYPD vests, then dragged Brown on the floor, over shards of broken glass, to the front of the store, ordering him to stop resisting.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
Expect plenty of flying shards and other obstacles to make the free-for-all more frenetic.
—ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
The peas themselves are piled like cabochons over a thin pastry shell, dressed in a tart citrus vinaigrette and studded with slivers of pickled shallots that deliver bracing little sparks of brine against the crisp sweetness of the legumes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
That’s in large part because many of the Democrats have only slivers of daylight between their policies, and ditto for the two Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here, the archeologists found tesserae from mosaics, glass fragments, and kitchen pottery.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
-
He is accompanied by the Cubans Piñera and Rodríguez Tomeu, who read fragments of poems in a flowery, exaggerated way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
People can get sick after breathing in contaminated particles that get stirred into the air, especially while cleaning or spending time in places where rodents have been active, like sheds, garages, barns, cabins and storage areas.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Plus, these particles are essential components of modern electronics, powering transistors and high-definition displays in smartphones and computers.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
From the summit of Monte Gambarogno, the towns hugging the shore of Lake Maggiore appear as tiny specks, dwarfed by the snowcapped southern Alps to the north.—
Lisa Kadane,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
-
Silvery or mottled patches on leaves, brown or distorted petal edges, dark specks (feces) or flower buds that fail to open are signs of thrips.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Our recipe studs egg filling with flecks of green onions, bacon, and a generous helping of Swiss cheese.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
5 May 2026
-
Some bathrooms have been updated with a walk-in shower, while others (including my room) have a shower-tub combo in starlight marble, which has flecks of shiny stone that seem to sparkle, but are slightly uncomfortable to climb into and out of.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
There are no easy answers in education, but there are glimmers of hope.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Caffeine powders, energy drink mixes and juice splashes can pile on stimulants and sugar quickly, especially when stacked together in the same drink.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
7 May 2026
-
Morning is generally better than evening, because any splashes have time to dry before nightfall.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every now and then, the hunter’s headphones would ping, registering a metallic hit below ground; though the vast majority of those signals were inconsequential, identifying only bits of scrap iron or old lead bullets.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
-
Advertisement Still, these tender feelings can’t gloss over the gory bits of starting a band.—
Katie Gavin,
Time,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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