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

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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

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as in bombs

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

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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

Costs of simple machine gun cartridges, mortar shells and 500-pound bombs are not great. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2026 The shells and skeletons of the organisms were ground up by the ocean waves into a white sand and compacted over time, forming a distinctively smooth and homogenous stone. — Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 14 Aug. 2026 At a fossil site in northwestern Canada called Raven’s Throat River, the mudstone still holds 500-million-year-old coprolites, some as wide as five centimeters, along with complete fossils of trilobites and mollusk-like hyoliths with conical shells. — ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026 The structure formed by the gas and dust, visible in the new observations as complex rings and shells, is an astronomical phenomenon researchers still don’t totally understand. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026 Fill the shells just before serving to keep them crisp and prevent them from becoming soggy. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 There are antique lighting fixtures, handmade wooden carvings of wild cats, myriad conch shells, and paintings of seemingly every size and artistic style imaginable. — Sarah Jackson valentina Duarte, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 Russia and Ukraine were firing thousands of shells back and forth each day. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 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

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
To further the house’s connection to nature, Wright used flagstone flooring inside and out and employed large sheaths of glass windows for visual continuity.

— Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026

Definition of sheaths

Noun

Featuring exteriors by Espen Øino International, interiors by Reymond Langton Design, and naval architecture by Lürssen, Whisper (then Kismet) won a prestigious World Superyacht Award in 2015 thanks to its innovative design.

— Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026
Earthy tones and retro colors are replacing neutrals in many ways on home exteriors.

— Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of exteriors

Verb

Nordic noir suggests the presence of violence and hatred beneath the tranquillity and order of the Scandinavian welfare state, just as Southern noir peels back hospitality and charm to reveal repressed family secrets and moral decay.

— Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Paint peels away from the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, in Washington, DC, on June 23, 2026.

— Kevin Breuninger,Terri Cullen, CNBC, 31 July 2026

Definition of peels

Noun

According to the outlet, casings found outside the building suggest the shooting began outside and then continued inside the apartment, but an investigation into the exact circumstances continues.

— Adam England, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026
The suspects escaped, and investigators later recovered the officer's Charger with a broken window and damage to its steering column, along with numerous 9mm shell casings, Fox 29 reported.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of casings

Noun

But Abdelkader argues that all lawmakers across the country should build on existing frameworks rather than waiting for a cyber incident to expose a weakness.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Many organizations still use governance frameworks based on audits, reviews, policies and reporting that look at past compliance efforts.

— Ramachander Rao Thallada, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of frameworks

Noun

Bacteria become switches The researchers used Pantoea agglomerans, a bacterium commonly found on plants and other surfaces.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
The suspension does a good job of smoothing out potholes and broken surfaces, while the relatively tall tyres fitted to 18in wheels help keep the ride composed.

— Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026