Synonyms of shell

shell 1 of 2

noun

ˈshel 

1

as in sheath

something that encloses another thing especially to protect it

eating oysters straight out of their shells

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sheath
• casing
• housing
• covering
• hull
• case
• cover
• jacket
• pod
• armor
• capsule
• cocoon
• coating
• husk
• shield
• cartridge
• package
• plate
• wrapper
• encasement
• plating
• bark
• carapace
• crust
• house
• cassette
• skin
• mail
• envelope
• facing
• hide
• backing
• cuticle
• panoply
• coverture

2

as in structure

the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form

workers at the shipyard have thus far erected the shell of the ship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• structure
• framework
• architecture
• skeleton
• fabric
• infrastructure
• frame
• configuration
• shape
• armature
• edifice
• framing
• network
• cage
• contour
• lattice
• cadre
• outline
• profile
• chassis
• figure
• silhouette

3

as in exterior

an outer part or layer

the shell of the building is all glass, making it conspicuous on a street with mostly limestone facades

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exterior
• surface
• front
• skin
• outside
• top
• facade
• face
• veneer
• facing
• cover
• appearance
• mask
• covering
• show
• semblance
• disguise
• guise

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interior
• inside

shell

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to peel

to remove the natural covering of

shelling peanuts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peel
• bark
• hull
• husk
• skin
• shuck
• scale
• strip
• bare
• expose
• flay
• pare
• denude

2

as in to bomb

to use bombs or artillery against

the enemy shelled the city for days without letup

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bomb
• batter
• attack
• bombard
• blitz
• pound
• cannonade
• rake
• blitzkrieg
• assault
• ravage
• hit
• enfilade
• strafe
• assail
• strike
• devastate

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shell

Noun

Here, a sofa slipcovered in a patchwork of paisley tablecloths is joined by a custom Dan John Anderson table inset with abalone shell and brass, a straw artwork made in the Purhépecha region of Mexico, and snuggly bean-bags. — Hannah Martin, Architectural Digest, 21 Aug. 2026

Coach Kyle Shanahan was particularly encouraged how Purdy and a shell of his usual supporting staff looked, especially with a trio of third-down conversion. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

Raw eggs carry a risk of Salmonella, but this strain is not related to the Salmonella outbreak linked to shell eggs in the Midwest. — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2026

Pictures of the Channel Islands in the 1980s, after an analogous period of protection from human and otter predation, show huge herds of black abalone, shell to shell, covering patches of the tidepool like floor tiling. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026

Phrases Containing shell

• shell game
• shell out