shatters 1 of 2

Definition of shattersnext
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 series, based on a novel by Araminta Hall, delves into a crime that shatters a long-standing friendship among the three lead characters. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 3 Mar. 2026 The glass shatters with a spray that shimmers in the lantern light. Danielle Parker, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 The calm shatters when a local boy is found drowned near the mythical island of Svärtan. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026 This devastating début novel takes the form of an oral history about a tragedy that shatters a family. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026 And that shatters my heart into a thousand pieces. Dan Hyman, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026 Based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, the series explores a crime that shatters a decades-long friendship between three women, delving into guilt, retribution, love, betrayal and life-altering compromises. Kennedy French, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026 After a possible murder shatters shatters the lives of three women in a decades-long friendship, Imperfect Women kicks off into a high-octane thriller that is sure to keep us guessing until its final minute. Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 4 Feb. 2026 Nothing goes wrong in Hulu's Paradise — until the illusion shatters. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatters
Verb
  • Unfortunately, as with alcohol, gambling also destroys lives.
    Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.
    Justin Salhani, The Dial, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • This weekend’s attack on Iran smashes through those limits altogether.
    Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
  • At one point, someone runs up behind the officer and smashes a snowball into the back of the cop’s head.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Scant artifacts survived those conditions, and almost all the porcelain recovered from the site consisted of shards.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Using two butter knives or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks shaggy, with pea-size pieces and a few flatter shards.
    Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • 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 final whistle blows at Miami Stadium, yet the adrenaline is still high.
    Taylor Haught, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Pay special attention to soil moisture when the wind blows.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • From removing splinters or opening bandages, to snagging ingrown hairs and tightening eyeglass screws, tweezers are one of those travel essentials that my mom never regrets packing.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Similarly, older floors tend to creak and squeak underfoot, and may even have loose staples, nails, or wooden splinters that can put you at risk.
    Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.
    Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Birmingham reunites with Dutton in Marshals and is injured in the first episode when a bomb explodes during a protest at the Broken Rock reservation.
    Peter White, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2026
  • An incoming projectile explodes over the water in the bay of Haifa off of the northern Israeli coastal city on February 28, 2026.
    Emma Graham, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatters. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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