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

In the aftermath investigators found as many as 15 spent shell casings. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Electrons from outer shells then fell into those vacancies, releasing energy as X-rays. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Verb

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement Thursday that the strikes were carried out after eight drones were launched from Afghanistan and Afghan forces shelled Pakistani border posts. — Munir Ahmed, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

In a subsequent interview with Russian media, Vishegirskaya said that the hospital had only been shelled, not bombed, and that she had been filmed without her consent. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026

Phrases Containing shell

• shell game
• shell out