shatter 1 of 2

1
2
as in to smash
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive shattered the sealed clay pot to find out what was inside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

shatter

2 of 2

noun

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 shatter
Verb
Sarah and Yaron are dead; their friends and families’ lives shattered. Alexis Schwartz, Baltimore Sun, 31 May 2025 The person arrested was a protester who is accused of shattering a car window with a flag pole. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2025
Noun
The family heard plates and glasses shatter — and then boots stomping up the stairs. Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025 Here’s what to do when faced with the shatter heard around the world. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
  • Aid distributed inside Israeli military zones Gaza’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all food production capabilities have been destroyed.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
  • The first move for a mistrial from Combs’ legal team occurred at the end of May, after prosecutors asked Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez if fingerprint evidence related to the bombing of Kid Cudi's car had been destroyed.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • While splinters were already forming, a trio of Grammy nominations nevertheless followed - with Potter left to ponder what could’ve/should’ve been.
    Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Israeli military rule would last nearly four decades, during which Hamas emerged as a splinter of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in the 1980s, until a 2005 disengagement.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • The situation took a turn when Amy accidentally ruined her earbuds in the wash.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 3 June 2025
  • There were missions that felt like a rally racing mini-game, asking me to navigate between timer-extending rings dotting barren desert ruins.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • In 2012, Texas Wesleyan went to the city’s historic and cultural landmarks commission seeking permission to demolish the home for further campus expansion, but were denied.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
  • Goldschmidt has demolished the NL Central in his career, with a slash line of .291/.388/.527 in almost 550 games played.
    Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • That plume included ash, volcanic rock and volcanic glass shards known as Pele's hair.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 May 2025
  • Covered in shards of stained glass, Casa Batlló is often compared to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies for the way the building’s colors glimmer and shift from blue to green in the changing light.
    Jennifer Fernández Solano, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
  • Chimney Rock State Park is set to reopen exactly nine months after being devastated by Hurricane Helene.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 6 June 2025
  • The group warns that the ban on hemp products with THC would devastate legal businesses and drive demand toward the unregulated black market.
    Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Failing to install the tax would blow an additional $80 million hole in Chicago’s 2026 budget as the city already faces a budget gap of around $1 billion, Budget Director Annette Guzman said.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
  • Wind blows the dust into the atmosphere and begins moving it westward over the Atlantic Ocean.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shatter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!