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
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 shattering
Those strikes heavily damaged the bases, burying most tunnel entrances under mountains of debris and shattering roads leading to the sites.
—
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Evan Vucci | Reuters Traders are confident Elon Musk will reach trillionaire status before 2027 after buzz that SpaceX is set to have a record-shattering initial public offering.
—Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign is hitting oil facilities, arms plants and even Moscow’s suburbs, undermining Russia’s air defenses and shattering the Kremlin’s claim the war is distant.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Congress should not leave this an open question for the next norm-shattering fact pattern.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Andrews, 36, a native of Concord, Massachusetts, climbed the 29,032-foot peak in just 9 hours and 55 minutes, shattering the record of 10 hours and 56 minutes held since 2003 by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
Micron shares have been shattering their own records consistently since September 2025 as the AI boom ripples across the globe.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Third, Ukrainian drone strikes are catalyzing profound morale issues within Russia itself, methodically shattering the illusion of domestic security cultivated by the Kremlin, as the Kremlin tightens its grip over society, including through the suspension of popular messaging apps such as Telegram.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
As the pattern settled in, summer heat finally arrived across the northern tier, shattering nearly 50 records, with temperatures up to 20 degrees above average, Fox Weather reported.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 30 May 2026
Evan Vucci | Reuters Traders are confident Elon Musk will reach trillionaire status before 2027 after buzz that SpaceX is set to have a record-shattering initial public offering.
—Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 May 2026
Ukraine’s expanding long-range drone campaign is hitting oil facilities, arms plants and even Moscow’s suburbs, undermining Russia’s air defenses and shattering the Kremlin’s claim the war is distant.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Congress should not leave this an open question for the next norm-shattering fact pattern.
—Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 May 2026
Andrews, 36, a native of Concord, Massachusetts, climbed the 29,032-foot peak in just 9 hours and 55 minutes, shattering the record of 10 hours and 56 minutes held since 2003 by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
Micron shares have been shattering their own records consistently since September 2025 as the AI boom ripples across the globe.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 27 May 2026
Third, Ukrainian drone strikes are catalyzing profound morale issues within Russia itself, methodically shattering the illusion of domestic security cultivated by the Kremlin, as the Kremlin tightens its grip over society, including through the suspension of popular messaging apps such as Telegram.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shattering
Verb
-
It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
-
The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
-
Here's how to identify black spot and prevent it from ruining your roses.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The plan involves demolishing the building and constructing a near-replica on the same Beatties Ford Road footprint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Indeed, back in the 1990s and 2000s, municipalities across the country were happily demolishing Brutalist eyesores made to house the poor.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The British government refused to subsidize food prices or restrict exports of Irish agricultural goods, further devastating the island.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
The carp have already shifted Mississippi River ecosystems by crowding out native fish, devastating some areas.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Not because the Dodgers’ reliever gave up three runs in the eighth inning to the Philadelphia Phillies, blowing a save opportunity and getting tagged with his first loss of the season.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
The plants store electricity generated by large solar and wind farms to release back on the power grid at night when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Those teams already are wrecking the owners’ claims that baseball lacks competitive balance.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Junk yards and auto wrecking services will soon be paying $354 instead of $273 for their new license, and secondhand dealers will see reduced fees — paying $354 instead of $480.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Today, the worldwide launch rate has risen to roughly 125 launches annually, with the number exploding in 2018.—
David Szondy
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2026
-
In 2025, a capacity crowd was exploding for her, the biggest star in the sport, triumphing on one of its biggest stages once again.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shattering. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
