shatters 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of shatter
1
as in destroys
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 smashes
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

shatters

2 of 2

noun

plural of shatter

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 shatters
Verb
Dousing enemies covered in mud with water shatters their defenses faster than basic attacks, while fire melts ice enemies without issue. PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2025 The latest expression that shatters the 140-proof mark comes from Louisville blender Barrell Craft Spirits, and this is one blend of whiskeys finished in Caribbean rum barrels that should be on any whiskey masochist’s bottle list. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025 Her decision to walk away seems like an act of autonomy — until the final sequence shatters any illusion of closure. Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 27 Oct. 2025 Tessa Ia leads the series as Valeria Goldberg, a young woman in a Jewish-Mexican community who makes a mistake that shatters her world and forces her into a desperate fight to find her missing children. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025 In a small town like Harding, a crime involving local children of local families shatters the relatively placid and usually numb routines of daily life. Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … HEAT HISTORY – Padres flamethrower shatters MLB record with jaw-dropping pitch in playoff battle. FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025 Gunfire shatters windows at The Grand The fatal shooting in August was the latest incident amid ongoing crime problems there, the lawsuit says. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025 Most sitcoms that cast celebrities to play themselves go the Thompson route, crafting a character that completely shatters the person’s public image. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatters
Verb
  • One such affliction is Tay-Sachs, a disease that disproportionately affects people of Ashkenazi descent and destroys brain and spinal nerve cells.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The movie follows a similar arc, with an additional subplot in which the creature destroys the city while under the influence of a powerful demon.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But even when Carr smashes a model boat to smithereens after a professional rejection or Allura imagines herself going full Lemonade on Chase’s sidepiece, their actions feel divorced from any larger context.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • But even when Carr smashes a model boat to smithereens after a professional rejection or Allura imagines herself going full Lemonade on Chase’s sidepiece, their actions feel divorced from any larger context.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Avoid handling hot shards or surfaces.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Today, that can mean a stair railing sculpted from cast bronze or a chandelier made of 450 shards of selenite (both, by the way, are Henault commissions).
    Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.
    Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Whatever way the wind blows, that’s the way college sports go.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Dolphins beating themselves Mike McDaniel blows a gasket after Larry Borom commits a false start and the Dolphins miss the field goal.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After cutting and trimming any splinters, place the stakes behind the trellis.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
  • There’s splinters on the floor.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Americans are used to thinking about automation as something that devastates factory towns in the heartland.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The novel is about three teenagers experiencing the joy and angst of their senior year in a New York City high school as the AIDS crisis devastates their community.
    Abdi Nazemian, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Her scenes with Shannon as Garfield are lovely, but at another point in Death by Lightning, Gilpin's character explodes into a whole new gear, altering the course of history along the way.
    David Bianculli, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Autumn is when the park really explodes in color.
    Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatters. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on shatters

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!