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 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

But embedded in nights such as Tuesday are slivers and morsels of hope and optimism.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2026
According to reports, Brinkley would inject slivers of Billy goat gonads into human scrotums as a cure for impotence.

— Richard Wagoner, Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of slivers

Noun

In the Krasnodar region, Ukrainian drone fragments sparked a brief fire on the premises of an industrial facility, regional emergency officials said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
The disk fragments as the neutron star passes further into the densest region of the river of plasma.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of fragments

Noun

Taken on July 24, during a particularly large influx of solar particles into the atmosphere, the observations reveal the full extent of the northern lights in UV light.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
The rule also translates to an extra 90 tons a year of soot particles and 4,870 additional tons a year of smog components such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted into the air in coming years, experts say.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of particles

Noun

The oversized jacket featured a furry white base adorned with flecks of silver, which beautifully mirrored the sumptuous coats on the runway.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
Add the torn basil and process just until incorporated -- there will be flecks of green in the mixture.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of flecks

Noun

These sensual glimmers are no match for the antagonistic sociality of straight male relationships, which, in this novel, quickly convert sympathy or desire into rivalry and aggression.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of glimmers

Noun

For all the back-to-back work, there were some splashes of imposter syndrome.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Surrounded by towering trees, Kitch-iti-kipi’s surface pulls rich green and teal hues during the spring and summer; splashes of orange and yellow during the fall; and hints of white come winter.

— Savannah Born, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of splashes

Noun

Speaking in the October/November issue of Reader’s Digest, out Friday, Groban told interviewer Leigh Belz Ray (who is also the 104-year-old magazine’s editor in chief) that he was cautioned that the comedy bits might confuse some fans of his music.

— Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2026
Both Carrie Ann and Derek praise Guillermo for committing to the character of the dance instead of comedy bits.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of bits

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“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shards

noun

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