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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 Smoke continued to rise from the twisted shards of metal, while the remains of the World Trade Center smoldered in a massive pile. — Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Once the drop trap — a simple wire cage triggered by yanking on a cord — is set up with an enticing mix of sardines and shards of roast chicken on a cardboard tray inside, everyone moves out of sight behind massive logs a few yards away. — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Scientists literally had to pick up the pieces after the wafers containing the solar wind samples shattered into thousands of tiny shards. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Every piece — the pleated wrap top, the shorts adorned with trailing shards of silk chiffon — was hand-dyed or painted and then covered in Swarovski crystals. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Space-grade electronics will cost more, and the ball’s shell—made from a material tough enough to roll over steel shards and withstand minus 184 °C temperatures—has never been evaluated in lunar extremes. — IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026 Smaller glass shards likely won’t cause symptoms, but bigger pieces with sharp edges run the risk of damaging the throat, stomach and intestines, according to the National Capital Poison Center. — Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026 Floating islands exist all over the world in wetlands, where shards of shore often break off into the water. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026 But globs of liquid mercury worked just fine to show the melting shards coming together, even though its toxicity meant the special effects crew had to wear protective gear over the two-day shoot. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards

Noun

The play was a microcosm of the ability Harvey showcased during his rookie season to turn small slivers of space into big plays.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of slivers

Noun

Researchers were able to date the fragment back to about 300 AD, the university said, and only about 30 such fragments exist worldwide.

— Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Instead, its environmental proposition is that those fragments should persist for less time after entering the environment.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of fragments

Noun

The optics are also described as being resistant to fast-moving fluids and particles, as well as to many chemicals.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
But those procedures can also send plastic particles down the drain — waste that South Florida’s wastewater systems aren’t designed to catch.

— Laurie Mermet, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of particles

Noun

Some kits include stone-like chips or flecks to scatter over the surface of the wet paint for a realistic effect.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026
Hundreds of flecks of sequins caught the light as Jenner made her way down the red carpet, glittering from every angle.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of flecks

Noun

These are the glimmers of something in the fringes that keep The Cherry Orchard, even in our age of jonesing to burn it all down, so miraculously delicate and devastating.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
People have always looked for errant glimmers of the dead in the world around them, but now the past runs parallel to — imprints upon, and circles around — the present to a degree that can severely confuse the relationship between the two.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of glimmers

Noun

Built in a distinctively analog way, the rooms create the illusion of endless space through the use of light, mirrors and splashes of color.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of splashes

Browse Nearby Words

shard

shards

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shards

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes