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
Cristobal’s arc can use a mite more variance overall, but her playing of Margot’s inner-torture from having to live with the literal shards of blood on her neck is effective.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Most of those issues have been from oil, lubrication, other or casing or shards inside the engines.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Another video of the incident — posted on Reddit and taken in what appears to be the moments immediately following the collision — shows the robot slowly removing itself from the scene of the crash, shards of glass falling off its lid with each scooch.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Cut into individual pieces or break into rustic shards.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Another 57 people were being treated for minor injuries, mostly from glass shards.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
While still bleeding profusely from his head, the officer can be seen returning fire at Husien as bullets slam into the car and shatter its windows, raining shards of glass on the officer.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026
Scant artifacts survived those conditions, and almost all the porcelain recovered from the site consisted of shards.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Most of those issues have been from oil, lubrication, other or casing or shards inside the engines.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026
Another video of the incident — posted on Reddit and taken in what appears to be the moments immediately following the collision — shows the robot slowly removing itself from the scene of the crash, shards of glass falling off its lid with each scooch.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Cut into individual pieces or break into rustic shards.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Another 57 people were being treated for minor injuries, mostly from glass shards.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
While still bleeding profusely from his head, the officer can be seen returning fire at Husien as bullets slam into the car and shatter its windows, raining shards of glass on the officer.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Mar. 2026
Scant artifacts survived those conditions, and almost all the porcelain recovered from the site consisted of shards.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
How much America’s Culinary Cup relies on head-to-head cook-offs to send people home gives all those slivers of information a little more urgency, though.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
On the tea-time menu that Wednesday is Vazhakkai Bajji, green plantain slivers folded into spicy chickpea batter, deep-fried a crisp orange-brown and presented on a banana leaf with a coconut dipping chutney on the side.—
Kalpana Mohan,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The 13‑foot statue, made from fragments of the original sculpture, was installed on March 22 in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, according to Nino Mangione, a Maryland State Delegate.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Although archaeologists found the first bone fragments in 2004, full-scale excavations did not begin until five years later due to a lack of state support, funding and equipment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The particles that make up these dark nebulae are of a finite size, and that size is extremely good at absorbing visible light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Although extremely rare, a condition called rhabdomyolysis can occur when your kidneys are overwhelmed with particles from muscle breakdown and can cause permanent kidney damage.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Learning how to apply mascara correctly can level up your whole eye look—but without the proper technique, even the best mascara can leave you with clumps, smears, or black specks across your face.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Following three straight 100-loss seasons that led to a front-office house cleaning, Rockies fans are peering down the road for glimmers of hope.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The surface of the bay glimmers all the way to the islands on the ethereal horizon.—
Stephanie Rafanelli,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Braves didn’t make many offseason splashes but instead should get a lot of key players back to full health after a disastrous run of injuries throughout 2025.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
-
The design here avoids ski-lodge clichés but maintains splendid common areas, including a cozy library and a grand lobby decorated with stone and wood finishes and splashes of rich red and orange hues.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Even more concerning than the plastic bits in our organs is the chemicals that come with them.—
Shanna Swan,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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