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

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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

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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
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 Trump's action shatters this precedent, inviting chaos. Dan Irvine, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatters
Verb
  • Each participant had lost central vision in one eye due to dry AMD, which destroys light-sensitive macular cells over time.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2025
  • An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As Richard tries to kill Carrie, Sigrid shoots him in the shoulder and Lo smashes him in the face with a piece of boating equipment.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
  • As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.
    Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Scott Wedgewood finally came unglued and left Colorado’s chances of winning in shards on the ice.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Splinters from the shotgun and metal shards from its trigger guard were found inside Barnes’ apartment — and linked back to the shotgun used in the murders.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 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
  • Coastal communities in southwest Jamaica took the most punishing blows from the storm, with catastrophic flooding and wind damage.
    Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025
  • In the update, Cumberbatch and Colman play a seemingly perfect husband and wife with the perfect family, but underneath the façade is a powder keg of resentment and fierce competition that eventually blows.
    Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 29 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
  • And rents, until recently, had jumped as demand for rentals explodes – because so few homes have been on the market.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • After Paul causes a boating accident that kills a young woman, the family explodes.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatters. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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