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
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
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
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026
This type of error creates friction and shatters trust.
—Jerry Haywood, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The other, from the southwest Khuzestan province, has a filling of dates, walnuts and coconut and pastry that shatters like a shell.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
His refusal to take the curse seriously shatters her trust, leaving her questioning their entire relationship.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Mar. 2026
Security footage provided by Elfvin shows the robot rolling directly into the side panel of a bus shelter, which shatters and showers the robot and sidewalk around it with what appears to be glass shards.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
For example, people now take care to wear shoes at home in case an explosion shatters glass, or there’s a need to evacuate immediately.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
At that moment, the mirror reflecting the entire contents of Frenza’s mind from the past few days shatters in a kaleidoscope of dreams.
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Unlike more cohesive dictatorships, Iran’s youth, middle class and ethnic minorities — Persians number less than 50% in a nation with seven major ethnic groups — are primed to rise once air power shatters the mullahs’ control.
—Chuck Devore, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
The two commit to a duel, each agreeing to fire their guns when a bottle of champagne rolls off the bar and shatters on the floor.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 1 June 2026
This type of error creates friction and shatters trust.
—Jerry Haywood, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The other, from the southwest Khuzestan province, has a filling of dates, walnuts and coconut and pastry that shatters like a shell.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
His refusal to take the curse seriously shatters her trust, leaving her questioning their entire relationship.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Mar. 2026
Security footage provided by Elfvin shows the robot rolling directly into the side panel of a bus shelter, which shatters and showers the robot and sidewalk around it with what appears to be glass shards.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
For example, people now take care to wear shoes at home in case an explosion shatters glass, or there’s a need to evacuate immediately.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
At that moment, the mirror reflecting the entire contents of Frenza’s mind from the past few days shatters in a kaleidoscope of dreams.
—Agnieszka Szpila, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Unlike more cohesive dictatorships, Iran’s youth, middle class and ethnic minorities — Persians number less than 50% in a nation with seven major ethnic groups — are primed to rise once air power shatters the mullahs’ control.
—Chuck Devore, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatters
Verb
-
An agent that cannot reliably query real-time pricing and inventory, or that cannot preserve brand logic through a checkout flow, destroys the value that luxury merchants have spent decades building.—
Josipa Majic Predin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
April freeze destroys crops Early on the morning of April 21, temperatures in Maryland dropped into the low 20s after weeks of unseasonably warm weather.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The Three Lions retake the lead 2-1 in the 43rd minute after Harry Kane smashes a header from Declan Rice in the net off a set piece.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
-
Then the climax subsides for a lovely coda of strings, accompanied by a denouement in which the now casually clad, contemporary-looking singer smashes up her play set in the apartment where she’s presumably been brooding over all this stuff.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Hall had shards of glass in his chest when he was found, per Utilma Hora.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
In 2020, Ross became mostly blind in one eye after repeatedly getting metal shards in it and developing an infection in his cornea.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 12,
New Atlas,
12 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Pinkas said that before the war, Iran was isolated under sanctions that choked its oil exports, dealing blows to its economy.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
Both the England and Croatia fans boo as the referee blows for the hydration breaks.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
But as the season neared the winter transfer window, the expectation was for Mainoo to leave on loan rather than continue to pick up splinters on the bench.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
The value of philosophy splinters when AI acts in unison with humans.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 June 2026
-
Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.—
Karen R. Studer,
Sacbee.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But a couple of pages later, his capsule encounters a meteoroid which explodes nearby.—
Neil Oseman,
Space.com,
14 June 2026
-
Most newcomers fade out or establish only a small population, but every so often a species explodes on the scene and becomes problematic.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatters. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
