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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of smashes
Chris Willman, Variety, 22 May 2026
Kyle Busch smashes a guitar in victory lane!
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The team smashes Vidalia onions directly into the beef to make the patties superthin, then top them with brown mustard, American cheese and pickles.
—Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 20 May 2026
Yang smashes the model minority stereotype by creating a deeply flawed antihero and deliciously twisty tale.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Maybe a sleek ship is being chased by enemy fighters through a dense asteroid field, and one of them smashes into a massive space rock and is explosively atomized.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union breaks his world outdoor pole vault record and Seppo Raty of Finland smashes the world javelin record during the Toto International Super Track and Field Meet in Japan.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Before the opening credits roll, Creasy smashes his car into a concrete barrier.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The Colombian superstar sold out Medellín’s Estadio Atanasio Girardot on April 25, with 47,000 fans waiting to dance to his unique mix of reggaeton hits and dancehall smashes.
—Lucas Villa, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Amy Allen picked up ASCAP‘s top honor in the pop field Thursday night, as the woman responsible for co-writing Sabrina Carpenter’s top hits and other smashes was awarded with the songwriter of the year trophy at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Hollywood.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 May 2026
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
Fans of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers — who have sold more than 20 million albums and notched more than 40 international gold and platinum discs — can expect to hear a mix of old and new, smashes and deep cuts, when Cheap Trick visits Bridges Auditorium in Claremont on April 21.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
By the time of their trio of English-language smashes, the most casual BTS listeners might have had no idea of the group’s rap-heavy beginning.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026
In fact, there were many loud screams in the theater and the smashes seemed plenty.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
This behind-the-scenes professional has shepherded box office smashes and prestige titles into the pop culture conversation.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Then the climax subsides for a lovely coda of strings, accompanied by a denouement in which the now casually clad, contemporary-looking singer smashes up her play set in the apartment where she’s presumably been brooding over all this stuff.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 May 2026
Kyle Busch smashes a guitar in victory lane!
—Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 May 2026
The team smashes Vidalia onions directly into the beef to make the patties superthin, then top them with brown mustard, American cheese and pickles.
—Sam Flemming, AJC.com, 20 May 2026
Yang smashes the model minority stereotype by creating a deeply flawed antihero and deliciously twisty tale.
—Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Alas, Shao Khan smashes Cole’s head with a hammer, Gallagher style, and shoves his body into a vat of acid.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 12 May 2026
Maybe a sleek ship is being chased by enemy fighters through a dense asteroid field, and one of them smashes into a massive space rock and is explosively atomized.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 May 2026
Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union breaks his world outdoor pole vault record and Seppo Raty of Finland smashes the world javelin record during the Toto International Super Track and Field Meet in Japan.
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Before the opening credits roll, Creasy smashes his car into a concrete barrier.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
That's just four shy of her record – the most among all acts – of 188 smashes.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
The Colombian superstar sold out Medellín’s Estadio Atanasio Girardot on April 25, with 47,000 fans waiting to dance to his unique mix of reggaeton hits and dancehall smashes.
—Lucas Villa, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Amy Allen picked up ASCAP‘s top honor in the pop field Thursday night, as the woman responsible for co-writing Sabrina Carpenter’s top hits and other smashes was awarded with the songwriter of the year trophy at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Hollywood.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 1 May 2026
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
Fans of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers — who have sold more than 20 million albums and notched more than 40 international gold and platinum discs — can expect to hear a mix of old and new, smashes and deep cuts, when Cheap Trick visits Bridges Auditorium in Claremont on April 21.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
By the time of their trio of English-language smashes, the most casual BTS listeners might have had no idea of the group’s rap-heavy beginning.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2026
In fact, there were many loud screams in the theater and the smashes seemed plenty.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
This behind-the-scenes professional has shepherded box office smashes and prestige titles into the pop culture conversation.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smashes
Verb
-
The two commit to a duel, each agreeing to fire their guns when a bottle of champagne rolls off the bar and shatters on the floor.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
This type of error creates friction and shatters trust.—
Jerry Haywood,
Forbes.com,
1 June 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
-
Young people must understand clearly that violence destroys not only victims, but entire families and communities.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
-
But Bogan told the outlet those assurances fall short if construction bulldozes the critical turtle habitat, compromises the manmade earthen dam that holds the springs' pond, or destroys the mesquite thicket downstream where turtles shelter in winter.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
From Bay Area poetry slams to national television, Frak has built a career around quick wit, improvisation, and sharp punchlines.—
Tylan Jennings,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Justin Crawford slams into the wall for an INCREDIBLE catch!—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Concurrently, internal particle collisions try to force the plasma back into a balanced temperature state.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
-
Similar projects in states including Utah and Washington have significantly reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and encouraged biodiversity.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Many are now discovering in their late 60s and early 70s that the script did not account for a 90‑plus lifespan or for the cumulative effects of wage stagnation, market crashes, and runaway medical costs.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 June 2026
-
Kimi Antonelli won a dramatic Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his championship lead to a commanding 66 points after a race twice interrupted by crashes and a red flag.—
Sahil Kapur,
NBC news,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The biggest blows came from Garcia and Starling Marte.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
Suddenly, Brooks began raining down blows on Sumner with a gutta-percha cane while an accomplice warded off lawmakers who tried to intervene.—
Rob Wolfe,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Other players, especially the younger players and newcomers, did head over toward La Familia and give them waves and claps.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
-
There was no standing ovation, only a few sporadic claps mixed in with folks cheering for Fitzpatrick.—
Jordan Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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