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
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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
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
Landry immediately comes to Tyra’s defense and smashes the guy’s head with a pipe.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
And take, for example, when Akaza smashes the ground.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
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
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
Landry immediately comes to Tyra’s defense and smashes the guy’s head with a pipe.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
And take, for example, when Akaza smashes the ground.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
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
-
One agent opens the back-seat door as the car begins to move; another shatters her passenger-side window.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The Bradford pear shatters easily at the trunk due to the branch angles, Zampini says.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
16 Jan. 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
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If the city demolishes the building, the costs will be assessed to the property owner.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
An excuse or explanation by itself, even while being transparent, destroys trust.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Beyond the immediate loss of land, erosion frequently exposes or destroys historic and archaeological sites.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Continue reading … 'UNACCEPTABLE' – Prominent Catholic bishop slams anti-ICE agitators who disrupted MN church service.—
,
FOXNews.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Each of these impact sites stands testament to the violence of its creation — cataclysmic collisions that carved vast basins in the lunar surface, while hurling debris miles across the face of Earth's natural satellite.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Other tips for driving in snow Navigation apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze collect real-time information on traffic slowdowns and collisions.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Isaac Gonzales, founder of Slow Down Sacramento, said the locations of where these crashes happened were not surprising.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In the national parks, drowning ranks behind only motor-vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
My father had said to me, My heart hurt more than my body—the flesh can take blows, the heart suffers them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
However, that good news comes after Johnson suffered political blows from an obstinate City Council opposition over the recent budget, on top of other losses for his progressive agenda.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg was tasked with layering in claps, stomps and screams.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Listeners replied with claps and exclamations of eager agreement.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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