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
Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
But the events of late 1957 shattered that perception and focused the attention of American politicians and military officials more sharply on the final frontier.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
When the shards of symbolic celebration shatter, they are often left to navigate the jagged realities of structural and institutional neglect.
—Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Verb
In an especially riveting retro throwback, Artemis II shattered the distance record set by Apollo 13 in 1970.
—Marcia Dunn, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2026
But the events of late 1957 shattered that perception and focused the attention of American politicians and military officials more sharply on the final frontier.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
Gold and silver prices fell sharply on Friday, snapping a powerful rally that has seen the metals shatter multiple records this year.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
When the shards of symbolic celebration shatter, they are often left to navigate the jagged realities of structural and institutional neglect.
—Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
-
All the State Forensic Authority’s DNA analysis labs were looted and destroyed in the fighting.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But now with factories, energy facilities, bridges and railways destroyed—leaving many Iranians unemployed—conditions have gotten worse.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Lyrids are known for producing bright, fast-moving meteors that tend to lack persistent trails, but have the potential to spawn spectacular fireballs as larger chunks of Comet Thatcher smash into Earth's atmosphere.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In footage shared by the BBC on X, Medvedev, who suffered a 6-0 6-0 loss during the 49-minute match, was filmed smashing up his tennis racket six times and angrily tossing it across the court.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 1903, a vicious winter storm reduced most of the piers to splinters, and by 1906 offshore oil production at Summerland had all but ceased.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Upon impact, cannonballs would have sent wooden splinters flying like debris from grenades.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Practical reality could nearly ruin your plans while the intuitive Moon in your 6th House of Effort squares Venus in your 9th House of Exploration.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Everything was synced up for him Saturday, and even Nimmo couldn’t ruin that breakthrough.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chappaquiddick would have demolished the career of most, but not Ted, and not in Kennedy country.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Last fall, a portion of the White House East Wing was demolished to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There may be no documents in the libraries, but the trees hold bits and shards of this land’s collective memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Twenty-thousand-year-old shards of clay pots have been unearthed in China.—
Abbey Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Florida’s citrus industry has been in a steady decline the past 25 years because of Huanglongbing (also known as HLB and citrus greening disease), a bacterial disease that devastates citrus trees.—
Jim Turner,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Apr. 2026
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Last year saw 13 named storms, including five hurricanes, most notably Category 5 Melissa, which devastated Jamaica.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the winds blow from the south or southwest, the South Coast and Cape Cod get the cold, ocean air.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The rising costs track across all city staff, but especially the Oakland Police Department, which was on track to blow past its overtime budget by nearly $17 million amid a decline in officer staffing before Interim Chief James Beere placed a cap on discretionary overtime spending last year.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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