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
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
Hussaini assembles the shards of her home city of Kabul into a mosaic, honoring its history, culture, and future.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The actress said that one night, her daughter, Luca, 28, witnessed her shattering framed photos of herself and Abrams and then using the glass shards to self-harm.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
After sweeping up broken glass, tiny, almost-invisible shards often remain behind.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 11 Apr. 2026
Twenty-thousand-year-old shards of clay pots have been unearthed in China.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
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
Hussaini assembles the shards of her home city of Kabul into a mosaic, honoring its history, culture, and future.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
The actress said that one night, her daughter, Luca, 28, witnessed her shattering framed photos of herself and Abrams and then using the glass shards to self-harm.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
After sweeping up broken glass, tiny, almost-invisible shards often remain behind.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 11 Apr. 2026
Twenty-thousand-year-old shards of clay pots have been unearthed in China.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shards
Noun
-
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
-
The exceptionally large and tender ribs are zested with slivers of lemon.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The artist wore a floor-length gown constructed from real electrical cables and wiring, interwoven with moss, succulents, and circuit board fragments, with butterfly motifs scattered throughout.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
-
Thousands of cases of a popular Aldi dessert have been recalled because they may be contaminated with glass fragments.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The rapid breakdown and spread of air particles can cause thunderstorm asthma.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Nanoplastics are the very smallest particles, about 1,000th the average width of a human hair, and are most likely to get inside the human body.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Featuring bolder, thicker spots at the top and more refined, micro specks down the skirt, this mini dress makes all-day, fashionable wear easier than ever.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 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
-
Its design, crafted by Russell Sage Studio, is meant to be an on-the-nose reflection of the distillery's famed product, with bronzy walls the color of its single malt, and a ceiling painted to look like barley, reflecting the morning dew with flecks of gold throughout.—
Alessandra Amodio,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 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
-
Morning is generally better than evening, because any splashes have time to dry before nightfall.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Some splashes of color help enliven it too.—
Adam Williams
April 23,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Because the Lakers are two losses from blowing it to bits.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The new show features Cuban actor Ariel Texido, who bears a resemblance to a younger Alvarez Guedes, and is in Spanish with few Spanglish bits that longtime fans will remember.—
Pedro Portal,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shards.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shards. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
