1
as in destroying
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 smashing
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 demolishing
to cause to break with violence and much noise
shattered the priceless vase in one clumsy fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shattering
Martha had a confidence-shattering experience with her previous boyfriend.
—
Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Atlanta Police Department During the incident, a stray bullet struck an Atlanta Public Schools bus, shattering one of its windows.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
But record-shattering heat will continue in the Southeast, with no relief coming this weekend.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Iran has responded by launching thousands of projectiles at cities across neighboring Arab states, shattering the stability the region had long.
—Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
In some grass species shattering can be turned off by just one or two gene mutations.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Bakri is responsible for many soul-shattering moments in Cherien Dabis’s exemplary multigenerational epic All That’s Left of You (now on digital), and the first takes place after an elementary-school lesson.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
An arson attack destroyed four ambulances at a Jewish charity in London’s Golders Green, shattering the community’s sense of security.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Atlanta Police Department During the incident, a stray bullet struck an Atlanta Public Schools bus, shattering one of its windows.
—Cbs News Atlanta Staff, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
But record-shattering heat will continue in the Southeast, with no relief coming this weekend.
—Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Iran has responded by launching thousands of projectiles at cities across neighboring Arab states, shattering the stability the region had long.
—Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
In some grass species shattering can be turned off by just one or two gene mutations.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Bakri is responsible for many soul-shattering moments in Cherien Dabis’s exemplary multigenerational epic All That’s Left of You (now on digital), and the first takes place after an elementary-school lesson.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
An arson attack destroyed four ambulances at a Jewish charity in London’s Golders Green, shattering the community’s sense of security.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shattering
Verb
-
Will Trump adopt Putin-style tactics by destroying power plants or even desalination plants in what could amount to an attack on the beleaguered Iranian people themselves?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In the weeks since, fears of a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon have grown, with Israel moving to establish a buffer zone in the area, leveling homes and destroying bridges over the Litani River, which connects the south to the rest of Lebanon, while taking control of what crossings remain.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maces, which were little more than rocks mounted on sticks, had questionable value as hunting tools, but they were superbly suited for smashing the bones and skulls of other humans.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Charging forward, Tuanzebe met the ball as its arc fell just in front of the goal, smashing it for a 1-0 lead.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Accused of ruining baseball with their big-spending ways the past two years, the noise has only gotten louder as a labor showdown looms.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
To figure out its mechanism, Julius’s team had to somehow extract it from cells without ruining the very properties the researchers were trying to understand.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Plans call for demolishing the three-story former office building on the site and constructing a single-story, 30-foot-tall building containing approximately 26,000 square feet of event space, according to information shared by the village.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The city’s long-term plan calls for demolishing the existing facility and replacing it with a new permanent building.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Jeffrey Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the war now is devastating it.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The Field of 68 pointed out that each of Duke's last four NCAA Tournament losses came by blowing a double-digit lead.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
This might drive like a dirt race, giving Reddick, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell a chance to shine as their cars are on the verge of wrecking.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the affordability backlash is on the brink of exploding in another sector of the economy, where the AI boom is already raising the price of consumer electronics.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The deals are exploding all over Amazon's Big Spring Sale, and all of the top computer brands are getting in on the action.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shattering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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