1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
tried to restore their shattered hopes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in to demolish
to cause to break with violence and much noise
shattered the priceless vase in one clumsy fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in splinter
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shatter
Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024
The family heard plates and glasses shatter — and then boots stomping up the stairs.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Today, with the return of great power competition, that illusion has shattered.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Verb
Baby Freddy rips his way out, shrieking so loud the windows shatter.
—Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024
The family heard plates and glasses shatter — and then boots stomping up the stairs.
—Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project broke records for daily power demand last week, shattering the records set just a month ago when temperatures also climbed above 115 degrees.
—Joanna Allhands, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Today, with the return of great power competition, that illusion has shattered.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
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But when our home was destroyed, our studio lost, and the war displaced us to Khanyounis’s tent camps, cooking became less about flavor and more about survival.—
Hamada Shaqoura,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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There were 25 diesel buses that were destroyed per the grant regulations, Young said.—
Harley Walls,
Arkansas Online,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
By then, there were two outs, Jesse Winker was on second and came home on an RBI single by Starling Marte, dramatically smashing his helmet at home plate, punctuating a two-run lead.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Aug. 2025
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The Capitol building had been breached two hours earlier, with doors knocked off hinges and windows smashed.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Trump splinters with Federal Society Trump and his allies are waging a war against the Federalist Society as parts of his second-term agenda are blocked by some of his own judicial nominees.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
4 June 2025
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The butterfly-open design gives quick access to tweezers for bee stings or wooden splinters, and sharp scissors for clipping trail tape or loose threads—all while staying impressively lightweight.—
Brandon Schultz,
Travel + Leisure,
17 July 2025
Verb
-
Her Altadena home and the surrounding community were ruined by the Eaton wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles in January.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
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However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even an old grain silo near the former Nickel Plate train station raised a few hackles when it was demolished.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
14 Aug. 2025
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When a building gets demolished, what happens to all that concrete, glass, stone or metal?—
Sydney Franklin,
The Enquirer,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For a 2001 collection, Alexander McQueen created a scaly bodice out of glass microscope slides painted blood red, then paired it with an exuberant skirt of dyed red-and-black ostrich plumes, contrasting the brittle, angular shards with the soft, floating feathers.—
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 July 2025
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These recalls were issued over concerns of clear plastic shards within products, allergy mislabeling and possible listeria monocytogenes contamination.—
Suzanne Blake
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Verb
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Dozens of people remain missing after heavy flash flooding and a mudslide devastated a village in northern India, killing at least four people, local officials said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Aug. 2025
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Whether or not Congress cuts NIH’s budget, the Trump administration has devastated its ability to operate.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The foghorn blew every 30 seconds and pelicans sailed above, doing a quick half corkscrew turn before diving.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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