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
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in claps
a loud explosive sound
the bikes collided with a huge smash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
The ball smashes into the floodlights, and Hobbs sets off on his victory trot, in slow motion, with sparks cascading behind him like fireworks.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
In the United Kingdom, as fans wait for something new from the global pop star, one of her earlier career smashes returns to the top 40 and becomes a bestseller again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
There’s no time to get your bearings; an EDM drop smashes everything to pieces, then a pained voice croons in the rubble while drunkenly mashing a detuned guitar.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
The recent radio data uncovered delicate filaments aligned with magnetic fields, likely created as the pulsar wind smashes into leftover material from the stellar explosion.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Antonia smashes the conch—a very tough meat—into thin slices.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Joe Lynch, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
They’re not exactly meant to be box office smashes.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
Both smashes have spent 276 weeks on the chart as of this frame.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In some cases, these cake smashes have even ended in disaster or divorce.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
As Richard tries to kill Carrie, Sigrid shoots him in the shoulder and Lo smashes him in the face with a piece of boating equipment.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
The ball smashes into the floodlights, and Hobbs sets off on his victory trot, in slow motion, with sparks cascading behind him like fireworks.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
In the United Kingdom, as fans wait for something new from the global pop star, one of her earlier career smashes returns to the top 40 and becomes a bestseller again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
There’s no time to get your bearings; an EDM drop smashes everything to pieces, then a pained voice croons in the rubble while drunkenly mashing a detuned guitar.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
The recent radio data uncovered delicate filaments aligned with magnetic fields, likely created as the pulsar wind smashes into leftover material from the stellar explosion.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Antonia smashes the conch—a very tough meat—into thin slices.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
For years, Billboard has tracked the graveyard smashes, thriller nights and legal nightmares that have sunk their teeth into the KILLboard Rot 100.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2025
They’re not exactly meant to be box office smashes.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
Both smashes have spent 276 weeks on the chart as of this frame.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 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
-
Dousing enemies covered in mud with water shatters their defenses faster than basic attacks, while fire melts ice enemies without issue.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The latest expression that shatters the 140-proof mark comes from Louisville blender Barrell Craft Spirits, and this is one blend of whiskeys finished in Caribbean rum barrels that should be on any whiskey masochist’s bottle list.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Each participant had lost central vision in one eye due to dry AMD, which destroys light-sensitive macular cells over time.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
-
An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Scientists have always assumed that when this stellar ejecta violently slams into dense gas surrounding the dying star, known as the circumstellar medium, this generates narrow emission lines in the light or spectra seen from Type II supernovas.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Jamaica reels after Hurricane Melissa slams into the island, severely damaging roads and hospitals.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In theory, self-driving cars should be able to detect animals and quickly stop or slow down, thereby lowering the number of collisions.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
According to the Standard, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has reported more than 880 self-driving car collisions to date.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Across America, there have been multiple fatal crashes involving drivers who couldn’t understand basic English road signs.—
Roger Marshall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 58 reports of FSD traffic-safety violations, including 23 injuries and 14 crashes.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite major strides in the right direction, the push for a greener future has been dealt several devastating blows from a fraught supply chain, economic headwinds and political setbacks.—
Katherine Fung,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Richard Westenberger, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Carter’s, said tariffs are delivering blows to the business, which has caused the company to hike its prices and decrease its discounting efforts.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Stewart said to massive claps from the audience.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Owen Wilson’s Stick has been renewed for a second season; the news was likely received to just mild golf claps among the online golfing community.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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