1
as in shatters
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 demolishes
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 destroys
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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4
as in slams
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 collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality
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2
as in crashes
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 blows
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 claps
a loud explosive sound
the bikes collided with a huge smash
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5
as in hits
a person or thing that is successful
the new Broadway musical is a smash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smashes
Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
When Mickey smashes the broom, each piece becomes a new water-fetching runaway robot.
—Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
If the spud bar smashes through, a person could too.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
Ben smashes chests and heads in, tears jaws out, rips faces off, and director Johannes Roberts makes sure to include brief close-ups of the carnage, lit just dimly enough to avoid truly grossing us out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
When Ben smashes a television set, perhaps Roberts is even making some sort of societal point.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The conservative impulse — skepticism of sweeping change, respect for traditions, wariness of unintended consequences — can prevent politics from becoming a moral joyride that smashes against the guardrails and calls it courage.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
The shower owes its brief peak to the near-perpendicular angle at which Earth smashes through the thin debris trail left by asteroid 2003 EH1.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Mars is known for his string of solo smashes and high-profile collaborations that have dominated the charts and racked up awards.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
Plus, Zach Top, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore and several other stars all showed up and showed out for the occasion, performing some of country music’s biggest smashes of the year for an audience of their peers.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2025
That wait is over now, and this film has the chance to be one of the bigger box office smashes of 2026.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
In some cases, these cake smashes have even ended in disaster or divorce.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Sammie smashes Remmick over the head with his guitar before the vampire can sink his claws into him.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
When Mickey smashes the broom, each piece becomes a new water-fetching runaway robot.
—Bipul Sinha, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
If the spud bar smashes through, a person could too.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
Ben smashes chests and heads in, tears jaws out, rips faces off, and director Johannes Roberts makes sure to include brief close-ups of the carnage, lit just dimly enough to avoid truly grossing us out.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
When Ben smashes a television set, perhaps Roberts is even making some sort of societal point.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The conservative impulse — skepticism of sweeping change, respect for traditions, wariness of unintended consequences — can prevent politics from becoming a moral joyride that smashes against the guardrails and calls it courage.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
The shower owes its brief peak to the near-perpendicular angle at which Earth smashes through the thin debris trail left by asteroid 2003 EH1.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Jan. 2026
Noun
Huntr/x is on the same level as Twice and (G)I-dle, tied for the second-most smashes among girl groups connected to K-pop.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Mars is known for his string of solo smashes and high-profile collaborations that have dominated the charts and racked up awards.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 8 Jan. 2026
Plus, Zach Top, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Luke Combs, Riley Green, Tucker Wetmore and several other stars all showed up and showed out for the occasion, performing some of country music’s biggest smashes of the year for an audience of their peers.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2025
That wait is over now, and this film has the chance to be one of the bigger box office smashes of 2026.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2025
In some cases, these cake smashes have even ended in disaster or divorce.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smashes
Verb
-
After a possible murder shatters shatters the lives of three women in a decades-long friendship, Imperfect Women kicks off into a high-octane thriller that is sure to keep us guessing until its final minute.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
4 Feb. 2026
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Imperfect Women, created for television by Annie Weisman and based on Araminta Hall’s novel of the same name, examines a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And God does and kills everybody and destroys everything.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
His stance joins a bipartisan chorus, including GOP leaders and Governor Shapiro, warning that inciting violence against Jewish neighbors destroys the path toward peace.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … POLITICS BAD CALL – Trump admin slams Dems’ ‘call 911 on ICE’ push as reckless, links policy to riots and violent arrests.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Winter storm slams the East While Arizona's system is mostly a light-rain and mountain-snow setup, a sprawling winter storm is creating far bigger problems across the eastern half of the country.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The giant animals are protected by a vessel speed rule that requires large ships to slow down at certain times to avoid collisions, which is a leading cause of death for the whales.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for the state’s wolves.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The reason Georgia’s latest winter bash looked nothing like 2014’s Snowmageddon is because most people left elbow room for crews to treat the roads and did not weigh down first responders with dozens of crashes.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Beneath those skin-tight speed suits, racers wear vests that automatically inflate almost instantly during high-speed crashes to protect the neck, back and chest.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the first half, both teams traded blows, with the largest lead being seven by the Bulldogs.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
-
He is seen performing first aid, administering back blows to the infant to remove the blockage.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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Lots of claps all around, as production in the area is still down significantly over five-year averages.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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