shattered 1 of 2

shattered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of shatter
1
as in destroyed
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of tried to restore their shattered hopes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in smashed
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

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 shattered
Adjective
The shattered glass remained in its frame in the images. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025 After struggling with life inside a Greenland bunker, the anxious Garrity family decides to leave that safety and navigate a shattered and radioactive wasteland of Europe to find a new home. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025 In addition to the shattered bones noted in Buttgereit’s surgery notes, Schaible said the physician identified nerve damage midsurgery that required additional work to fix. Katheryn Houghton, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025 Arriving one year after the first Wicked hit theaters and shattered movie-musical box-office records, For Good will serve as the film adaptation of the second act of the Broadway musical on which the live-actions are based. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025 With the most notable victim possibly being a shattered jar of sundried tomatoes on the floor of a North Berkeley cheese shop, the temblor gave what experts say was a low-stakes but important tectonic reminder for the region. Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025 But offline their idea of a people’s uprising took a familiar form—its memorials are burned buildings, shattered glass, and dead people. Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 After the signs came shattered glass, fire, and destruction. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025 To avoid shattered glass risk, wrap the product in paper towels and a plastic bag prior to throwing it away. Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
Each episode explores how Taylor shattered Hollywood’s glass ceiling, built a billion-dollar business empire, and transformed celebrity activism through her pioneering work in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Peter White, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025 Jeff sustained a gunshot wound that shattered his ankle, receiving two surgeries to remove the bullet and leather from his foot. Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025 That perception was shattered by the 24-hour ecosystem of divisive clips, some new, most from a half decade ago, all intended to feed anger and division. Keith Wilson, Time, 2 Oct. 2025 When ballots appear in household shipments of rice and toys, trust is shattered. Mason Leath, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025 Carelessness and accidents happen, however, so take some time with each season to go through items and toss anything that’s faded, shattered, or stopped working. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025 If country is fractured, pop is positively shattered, less a sound than a survival tactic. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025 Pine, Colorado — As massive granite outcroppings dotted with evergreen trees jutted skyward from the landscape of Colorado’s Southern Rockies on a warm Tuesday morning, the serenity of bird calls and a babbling creek was shattered by a radio call from a park ranger in distress. Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025 There’s really never been a performance like the one Joaquin Phoenix gives as Freddie Quell, a Navy vet who emerges from the war shattered and strange but who may have always been that way. Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shattered
Adjective
  • Since Buzzard's Roost opened in 2023, the staff has experienced unexplained broken glasses, books falling off the shelf and many elevator and electronic glitches.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The Wednesday night attack at the apartment in the 2800 block of Corabel Lane began as an argument between the husband and wife over a broken personal computer tablet, officials said.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Though most of his property was destroyed in the fire, a carnival operator named Bunny Gibbons bought Gein's car and charged 25 cents for people to view it until authorities shut down the operation.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The Gaza Strip itself has been nearly leveled, with the United Nations estimating 78% of structures having been damaged or destroyed, leaving a monumental task of rebuilding for whoever will govern the enclave next.
    Emily Feng, NPR, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This once-passing fad, never projected by the originators or detractors to make it this far, had smashed every measurable and monetizable metric over the last half century.
    Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
  • At least four people were killed and eight injured when a gunman in a pickup truck smashed through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service attended by hundreds, opened fire and set the building ablaze.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Sanae Takaichi can rely on a fractured opposition to win a majority of votes in the legislature to become the next prime minister.
    Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Hers is a banger about fractured trust and power struggles with a man who once steered her career.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • All the problems getting into the ground ruined the trip a bit.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • In 1950s Washington, the moral entrepreneurs were members of Congress and expert witnesses who labeled people Soviet collaborators and ruined many of their lives.
    Ron Barrett, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The West Fond du Lac Avenue bar, which was once a popular hangout for Black musicians and Milwaukee police officers alike, was demolished in April.
    Mary Spicuzza, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The Jokake Inn closed in the late 1970s and was demolished, except for its Pueblo revival-style belfry towers, which were incorporated into The Phoenician.
    Douglas C. Towne, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Atlanta Braves Speaking of injuries, the fragile nature of the human body really wrecked Brian Snitker’s swan song.
    Levi Weaver, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • America will be watching Monday night’s early game, perhaps in much the same way traffic can’t help but slow to watch two cars that have just wrecked.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Apparently, Grier forgot his own words, because the lines that the Dolphins have built are collectively their worst this decade, something evident in a crushing 27-24 loss to Carolina, a game in which Miami blew a 17-0 lead.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Whalen described one recent encounter where a homeless person blew fentanyl smoke in his face.
    Brian Mann, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shattered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shattered. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shattered

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!