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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in slams
to come into usually forceful contact with something
we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of smashes
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Flowers and debris go flying as the vehicle then smashes head-on into a tree.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
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
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
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
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
Verb
At one point, someone runs up behind the officer and smashes a snowball into the back of the cop’s head.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2026
Flowers and debris go flying as the vehicle then smashes head-on into a tree.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
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
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
Noun
The patties are indeed thin, but the burger sits more upright than most smashes and there isn’t the lacy crispness on the edges.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
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
-
The series, based on a novel by Araminta Hall, delves into a crime that shatters a long-standing friendship among the three lead characters.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The glass shatters with a spray that shimmers in the lantern light.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Unfortunately, as with alcohol, gambling also destroys lives.—
Jim Nowlan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
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Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.—
Justin Salhani,
The Dial,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When this valve slams shut, the entire network suffers a mechanical heart attack.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers tested whether a hardy bacterium could endure the crushing pressures generated when a space rock slams into a planet and ejects debris into space.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Animals’ risk of becoming roadkill depends on several factors, including how many vehicles are on the road, how many animals are on the road, and how animals and human drivers behave, explains Tom Langen, a professor of biology at Clarkson University, who studies animal-vehicle collisions.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The latest data collection from the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration reveals the universe is practically humming with gravitational waves from cosmic collisions.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lawmakers should act now to require strong insurance minimums and clearly assign responsibility, treating autonomous vehicle crashes as standard motor vehicle claims handled through ordinary auto insurance — not complex product litigation.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
These crashes frequently kill the animals and lead to hundreds of human deaths.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her tenure was marked by downward-trending stock prices and a series of blows to the company’s image.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Unfortunately, Starmer’s Labour government seems bent on inflicting even harsher blows very soon.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The latest in what appears to be an unending stream of storms thundered through the Bay Area on Tuesday, producing violent claps of thunder and lightning bright enough to light up momentarily the gray and sometimes dark sky.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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