SHELLS Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

shells 1 of 2

noun

plural of shell

as in sheaths

something that encloses another thing especially to protect it eating oysters straight out of their shells

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shells

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of shell

as in peels

to remove the natural covering of shelling peanuts

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in bombs

to use bombs or artillery against the enemy shelled the city for days without letup

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 shells

Noun

These bite-size marvels combine unagi, cream cheese, and potato inside their crisp shells, which are glazed with sweet-tangy tare sauce. — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026 Iranian strikes also destroyed radomes, the outer shells that protect radar antennae, in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026 Glide bombs have left craters, and the tail fins of shells stick out of the asphalt like flowers. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 The 1964 insectlike lounge chairs designed for the Parco dei Principi Hotels in Rome and Sorrento feature ultrathin legs that make their curved seat shells appear to float. — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 2 Nov. 2026 New Zealand mudsnail shells found in Bear Creek macroinvertebrate samples. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 Non-metallic shells insulate metallic components, conductive feet provide grounding, and automatic cutoffs monitor temperature. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Bernal believed that our bodies, those paltry shells, were not long for this world. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026 After chipping their way through their shells, sea turtle hatchlings in the wild typically remain clustered together beneath the sand until nighttime, when temperatures and predation risk drop. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Verb

During the drive, a tank shells the car, killing most of the occupants. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shells

Noun

In a slow cooker, shrimp become bouncy and rubbery, and fish flakes apart into dry sheaths of overcooked flesh.

— Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026
The research team says future versions may use adjustable sheaths or elastic materials to fit a wider range of bodies.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of sheaths

Noun

These systems, which are based on mathematical structures called neural networks, excel at cognitive tasks that until recently seemed exclusive to humans.

— Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Researchers also modified the protein to investigate how these structures grow.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of structures

Noun

Many teriyaki shops also have chicken katsu and egg rolls on the menu, but the versions here are standouts for their nongreasy crispy exteriors.

— Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Since completing her project, the building, whose exteriors were landmarked, has been redeveloped into residential units, with the only hint of its past the remaining rooftop sign.

— Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of exteriors

Noun

According to prosecutors, evidence showed that more than 100 shell casings were recovered from the street outside the home and that the shooting was retaliation for an earlier homicide.

— Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Investigators found seven shell casings at the scene, police said.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of casings

Noun

Traditional performance frameworks already distinguish between leading and lagging indicators.

— Allison Mais, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Integer Technologies will work with Florida State University and its Center for Advanced Power Systems to develop zero-trust security frameworks tailored to shipboard power networks.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of frameworks

Noun

Accumulation of food debris observed on blue cutting board stored with other clean food contact surfaces in back of kitchen.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
There is, of course, an automatic effect to hanging the tabletop pieces in place of the crucifix, their undulating surfaces almost reminiscent of a kind of spiritual abstraction.

— Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026