1
as in to shatter
to cause to break with violence and much noise
the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to demolish
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
the firecracker smashed the clay pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the invading troops smashed the resistance and went on to conquer the country
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality
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2
as in crash
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
the sound of the smash made all of the bystanders immediately whip their heads around
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3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
she gave the tennis ball a smash and sent it flying over the other side of the net
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4
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the bikes collided with a huge smash
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5
as in hit
a person or thing that is successful
the new Broadway musical is a smash
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of smash
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Dramatic footage showed police officers dodging rocks and sticks while rioters smashed police cars and set a police van on fire.
—Angus Watson, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Early box office projections show Michael is set to be a box office smash, ensuring the King of Pop will continue to reign.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smash
Verb
Upon returning from away matches, he and the team were greeted by the sight of broken glass and smashed windows at the club’s training facilities.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Dramatic footage showed police officers dodging rocks and sticks while rioters smashed police cars and set a police van on fire.
—Angus Watson, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
Noun
His litany of urgently treacly smashes was the soundtrack of that era, both a master class in minimal form that updated the mercenary structures of the Brill Building and Frank Sinatra, and also a cool and controlled reimagining of the sensual soul music of the late ’60s through the mid-70s.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Early box office projections show Michael is set to be a box office smash, ensuring the King of Pop will continue to reign.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smash
Verb
-
By 2025, the War on Terror had shattered entire nations and economies, displaced some 40 million citizens and directly and indirectly killed over four million.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the illusion shatters when a stranger on the street recognizes the dog… as HER boyfriend Danny’s dog.—
William Earl,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Browns will pay for their current home to be demolished after the 2028 season, which will make way for lakefront development.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
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Trump has overseen dramatic cosmetic changes on the White House grounds during his second term, including paving over the grassy line of the famous Rose Garden and demolishing the White House's East Wing to make way for a massive ballroom.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
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But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and other targets, while also inflicting significant damage on oil port infrastructure.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Due to the size of the crowd, one of the people the boy was with was bumped into an unknown woman, who told them not to bump into her again.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Some of the recent videos show the runners bumping into security guards and shoving past church staff, then leaving after being cornered and told to get off the property.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Based on current findings, there is no indication of a mid-air collision.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
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Hauser came up limping after a midair collision with Embiid on the final play of the first quarter.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
Noun
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William Cruz, 49, of Carteret, NJ, was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian causing injury and failure to exercise due care for the fatal crash that claimed Jenny Maribel Chacho Sanchez on April 17.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The corridor, from Del Paso Boulevard to the Steelhead Creek trail crossing, is among the five in Sacramento with the highest numbers of fatal and serious crashes.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Shortly after the five-year anniversary of the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer, the case was poised to move to a high-profile weekslong trial when a Cook County judge dealt a blow to the Toledo family’s case.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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Helping cushion the blow of the supply shock, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used alternative export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Dylan, who is dimpled and impish, with long eyelashes and a curtain of dark bangs, picked up a small container and examined it.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The Chicago White Sox began May with a bang, as Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery homered in an 8-2 victory against the San Diego Padres on Friday.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smash. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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