1
as in sheaths
something that encloses another thing especially to protect it
eating oysters straight out of their shells
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shells
Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 May 2026
Next, Butac arranges a bunch of the beans on two trays and roasts them for a specific amount of time before separating the shells from the beans and then running the bean fragments, also known as nibs, through a mill.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Kent’s created what look like tide pools with succulents and shells, surrounded by lava and boulders.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The three shell eggs with broken shells in the reach-in cooler?
—David J. Neal
may 8, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
This was improved even more by learning how to slope the armor to deflect incoming shells and dissipate the impact.
—David Szondy
may 07, New Atlas, 7 May 2026
The feel of crushed shells under my feet.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
In charging Comey with threatening the president with death, the Department of Justice completely misinterpreted the shells’ symbolism.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
From there, one person held the blue heron still as the other carefully and forcefully pried the oyster's shells apart with a screwdriver.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
Noun
Crispy tostada shells get a swoosh of smoky chipotle mayo, plus fanned slices of juicy mango and creamy avocado.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 May 2026
Next, Butac arranges a bunch of the beans on two trays and roasts them for a specific amount of time before separating the shells from the beans and then running the bean fragments, also known as nibs, through a mill.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Kent’s created what look like tide pools with succulents and shells, surrounded by lava and boulders.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2026
The three shell eggs with broken shells in the reach-in cooler?
—David J. Neal
may 8, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
This was improved even more by learning how to slope the armor to deflect incoming shells and dissipate the impact.
—David Szondy
may 07, New Atlas, 7 May 2026
The feel of crushed shells under my feet.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
In charging Comey with threatening the president with death, the Department of Justice completely misinterpreted the shells’ symbolism.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
From there, one person held the blue heron still as the other carefully and forcefully pried the oyster's shells apart with a screwdriver.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 May 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
-
Opt for bigger hanging bulbs, discrete flickers, or even hanging sheaths.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The payload was designed to test a hypersonic navigation system capable of accurately identifying spacecraft position, even when communications are blocked by intense plasma sheaths during hypersonic flight.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Two smaller structures rise to six floors each, alongside the 20-story main tower.—
Adam Williams
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
-
The team also demonstrated that the device could identify hidden structures beneath soft materials, including tumor-like objects embedded in tissue models.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Shades of Green Sara McDaniel, designer, renovator, and creator of Simply Southern Cottage, says shades of green will be taking home exteriors by storm in 2026.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
-
The collection of four 200-year-old houses that comprise the property are charming with their wooden porches and shingled exteriors, keeping the right amount of familiarity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Each new burst of observation, each refined model, peels back another layer, showing us just how dynamic and surprising the life of a star can be.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
3 May 2026
-
The Swedish Academy has simply added a new twist to a decades-long game of peekaboo, where Dylan, né Robert Zimmerman, peels back one mask to reveal another, an infinity of disguises.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The United States bombs Iran's nuclear facilities days later.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Page Six gets a Hollywood edition Papps declined last week to reveal what stories his reporters were chasing and what bombs the political columnists will throw in its first editions.—
Christopher Weber,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Power said members of the Detective Division responded to the scene and found several bullet holes on the outside of the building as well as several expended shell casings in the parking lot.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 May 2026
-
Small said investigators found at least six spent shell casings on the 1200 block of North 42nd Street from a semi-automatic weapon or weapons.—
Tom Dougherty,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The financing and regulatory frameworks had to be built from scratch.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
The cycle that isn’t The idea that economies expand and contract in predictable waves is one of the most durable frameworks in economics.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Exposure to snow, ice and salt can weaken materials, loosen boards and create uneven surfaces.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
-
Here, the Sport+ drive mode does a commendable job of keeping the transmission in the meaty parts of the powerband, while dialing the dampers back to Sport achieves the right balance of body control and compliance on these less-than-perfect road surfaces.—
Bradley Iger,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shells.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shells. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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