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
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Recent Examples of shatter
Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Without its full complement of limbs, this three-legged stool is prone to tip over and shatter.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025
But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the chicken, whose shatter-crisp texture and pungent yet sweet flavor could overcome any dose of novocaine.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Verb
This set from the Good Grips collection is made of borosilicate glass, which is food-safe like standard glass, but also more resistant to heat—meaning it can be taken out of the freezer and popped straight into the microwave to reheat leftovers without shattering.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Without its full complement of limbs, this three-legged stool is prone to tip over and shatter.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
They're also made with shatter-resistant glass and nest together to save valuable cabinet space.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025
But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the chicken, whose shatter-crisp texture and pungent yet sweet flavor could overcome any dose of novocaine.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
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Gizmodo continues that the results of the CT scans astonished researchers because her right TMJ, near the ear, had been destroyed.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
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Half a million acres burned, destroying $300 million in timber and at least 150 homes and other structures.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Intriguingly, the lunar surface is littered with craters that record the chaotic early days of the solar system when planets and asteroids were smashing into one another.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The streamer has smashed streaming records for the Winter Olympics and contributed several million viewers to the Super Bowl audience.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fungus enters the body through small cuts or puncture wounds, often from rose thorns or splinters.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Jeff Clanagan painted a picture of a landscape in which movie stardom is no longer protected by traditional channels, as attention splinters across platforms and audiences fragment.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Top awards executive Lisa Taback had her luggage ruined as well.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
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That’s when my Samsonite Paralux Carry-on ruined me for all other take-aboard luggage.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After the city of New York demolished the Polo Grounds in 1964, a crumbling concrete staircase stood forgotten as the last remaining vestige of the legendary stadium.—
Libby Cierzniak,
IndyStar,
20 Feb. 2026
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With his daughter, Lupel also tutored youngsters from the Cabrini-Green housing project before it was demolished.—
Bob Goldsborough,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Jagged shards of memory shown in flashbacks suggest Laura’s fear and vulnerability as a young girl (played by the filmmakers’ daughter Eliz Mundruczó), alongside indications of narcissistic, at times violent Ivan’s shortcomings as a parent.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
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After placing a clay shard over the drainage hole in each pot, Ryan fills them with the soil mix, adding enough to reach just below the top rim of the pot.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Los Angeles County district attorney is investigating whether Southern California Edison should be criminally prosecuted for its actions in last year’s devastating Eaton wildfire, which killed 19 people and left thousands of families homeless, the company said Wednesday.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Tanimoto’s father, who grew up in Hiroshima — the Japanese city later devastated by the first atomic bomb — immigrated to Hawaii before raising his family in Northern California and had recently retired from farming.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Negotiators from the seven states along the Colorado River blew past yet another federal deadline over the weekend without reaching a compromise on how to share its water — even as this winter’s dismal snowpack could spell immediate disaster for the river system.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
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Snow flurries are blowing at an angle, the sky is a leaden grey, and visibility is poor.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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