Synonyms of shells

shells 1 of 2

noun

plural of shell

1

as in sheaths

something that encloses another thing especially to protect it

eating oysters straight out of their shells

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sheaths
• casings
• coverings
• hulls
• housings
• pods
• husks
• cases
• jackets
• covers
• cocoons
• cartridges
• capsules
• shields
• coatings
• plates
• packages
• wrappers
• armors
• encasements
• crusts
• platings
• houses
• cassettes
• skins
• carapaces
• barks
• envelopes
• mails
• facings
• hides
• casettes
• backings
• cuticles
• panoplies
• covertures

2

as in structures

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

• structures
• frameworks
• architectures
• skeletons
• fabrics
• infrastructures
• frames
• cadres
• shapes
• armatures
• configurations
• edifices
• figures
• cages
• framings
• contours
• lattices
• networks
• silhouettes
• chassis
• outlines
• profiles

3

as in exteriors

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

• exteriors
• surfaces
• skins
• fronts
• facades
• tops
• faces
• veneers
• outsides
• facings
• coverings
• façades
• masks
• appearances
• covers
• disguises
• shows
• guises
• semblances

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interiors
• insides

shells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shell

1

as in peels

to remove the natural covering of

shelling peanuts

Synonyms & Similar Words

• peels
• hulls
• barks
• husks
• skins
• scales
• strips
• shucks
• exposes
• flays
• bares
• pares
• denudes

2

as in bombs

to use bombs or artillery against

the enemy shelled the city for days without letup

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bombs
• batters
• attacks
• cannonades
• bombards
• pounds
• blitzes
• blitzkriegs
• ravages
• rakes
• assaults
• hits
• enfilades
• strafes
• assails
• devastates
• strikes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shells

Noun

Some cheered the kids on with blasts from conch shells; another boater bugled tunes. —Debra Utacia Krol, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025

Ukraine fires roughly 5,000 155 mm shells every day, for an average of 2 million per month, according to Forbes. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2025

Exercises like wall-sits, clam shells, step-ups, and Romanian deadlifts target the knees and surrounding muscles to improve strength and stability. —Jakob Roze, Health, 2 Sep. 2025

The now empty shells serve as a reminder of neighborhood corner stores put out of business by real estate development and big supermarkets. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Rheinmetall’s facility will be able to produce 350,000 artillery shells annually by 2027, part of efforts by the continent to ultimately manufacture 2 million a year by itself. —semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Satellite imagery and battlefield photos indicate Pyongyang also supplied Russia with missiles and artillery shells. —Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

The researchers focused on a merger of two hybrid white dwarfs — stellar remnants with carbon-oxygen cores wrapped in thick shells of helium, likely shaped by earlier interactions with companion stars. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025

For light, traditional Italian options, the chocolate cannoli ($14) come in a set of three crunchy shells filled with fluffy chocolate ricotta, while tiramisu ($12) is available in classic and pistachio variants. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025