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
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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
as in demolishes
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 shatters
Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
The Bradford pear shatters easily at the trunk due to the branch angles, Zampini says.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
The Creature is slowed, however, when gunfire shatters the ice around its feet, plunging it into the cold sea.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … RISE UP – Catholic conference shatters attendance records as 26,000 young people flock to faith event.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The drop shatters a plate from Andrew's mother's irreplaceable collection of heirloom china and prompts Andrew to fire Enzo.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
Imperfect Women, created for television by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
That may be because modern video calls can create a sense of speaking to a person face-to-face that feels startlingly real, but a technical hiccup abruptly shatters that illusion.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
The all-new Weekend from Danish camping goods company Groenberg shatters that mold and weighs in at a fraction of those figures.
—New Atlas, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
One agent opens the back-seat door as the car begins to move; another shatters her passenger-side window.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026
The Bradford pear shatters easily at the trunk due to the branch angles, Zampini says.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 16 Jan. 2026
The Creature is slowed, however, when gunfire shatters the ice around its feet, plunging it into the cold sea.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … RISE UP – Catholic conference shatters attendance records as 26,000 young people flock to faith event.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The drop shatters a plate from Andrew's mother's irreplaceable collection of heirloom china and prompts Andrew to fire Enzo.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 19 Dec. 2025
Imperfect Women, created for television by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
That may be because modern video calls can create a sense of speaking to a person face-to-face that feels startlingly real, but a technical hiccup abruptly shatters that illusion.
—Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
The all-new Weekend from Danish camping goods company Groenberg shatters that mold and weighs in at a fraction of those figures.
—New Atlas, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatters
Verb
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An excuse or explanation by itself, even while being transparent, destroys trust.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Beyond the immediate loss of land, erosion frequently exposes or destroys historic and archaeological sites.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When Mickey smashes the broom, each piece becomes a new water-fetching runaway robot.—
Bipul Sinha,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
If the spud bar smashes through, a person could too.—
Stephanie Pearson,
Outside,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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When the shards of symbolic celebration shatter, they are often left to navigate the jagged realities of structural and institutional neglect.—
Jallicia Jolly,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Set aside to cool and then break into irregular shards and reserve for topping the soup.—
Hailee Catalano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Oscar nominee stars as struggling actor Shah Latif who, at first, blows a shot at the coveted role.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
-
An observer, with a capital O, with hard hands, is somebody that stands on the corner of their community and blows the whistle and makes a noise.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Jeff Clanagan painted a picture of a landscape in which movie stardom is no longer protected by traditional channels, as attention splinters across platforms and audiences fragment.—
Josh Rottenberg,
Twin Cities,
31 Dec. 2025
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The paper also prevents wear and tear on the wood surface and keeps small splinters from snagging delicate clothing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Michael Winner’s gritty urban thriller starred Charles Bronson as Paul Kersey, an everyman architect who becomes a vigilante after a brutal assault devastates his family.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
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Americans are used to thinking about automation as something that devastates factory towns in the heartland.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Continue reading … INTERNAL STRIFE – CBS reporter explodes at top editor during heated meeting over long-delayed 'Inside CECOT' segment.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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San Francisco Travel Association Color explodes across the walls of Clarion Alley—a narrow passage in the Mission District known for its ever-changing murals.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatters. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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