smashing 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of smashingnext
as in striking

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smashing

2 of 3

noun

as in hammering

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smashing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of smash
1
as in shattering
to cause to break with violence and much noise the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace

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2
as in demolishing
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive the firecracker smashed the clay pot

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3
as in destroying
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 bumping
to come into usually forceful contact with something we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smashing
Adjective
On this day in 1807, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte signed the second Treaty of Tilsit with Russia and Prussia following his smashing victories at Jena and Friedland. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 Doubts cast However, not everyone saw the draft as a smashing success. — Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 26 May 2026
Noun
So, more fringe practices also do, like bone smashing, which has been talked about in the looksmaxxing community. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 At other times, the book embodies an awareness that glass-smashing isn’t in the cards. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
Perhaps the squad took his ball-respecting mantra to its logical extreme, seemingly reluctant to sully it by smashing it into the net, with Chelsea recording the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League during his brief tenure. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 In 2024 its activists broke into a factory owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK, smashing equipment with sledgehammers and crowbars. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smashing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smashing
  1. striking
  2. hammering
  3. shattering
  4. demolishing
  5. destroying
  6. bumping
  7. impressive
  8. thumping
Adjective
  • During the company’s third-quarter earnings call in October, Musk made a striking comment while musing about how the company aimed to deploy 10 GW of compute (on Earth) in 2027.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Elke Sommer, the striking German beauty who starred in such films as A Shot in the Dark, The Prize, The Art of Love and Deadlier Than the Male during her 1960s heyday in Hollywood, has died.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of striking
Noun
  • Neocloud stocks have taken a hammering over the past month, with CoreWeave and Nebius down more than 30% while Iren has tanked 40%.
    — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The butt of the Axvant is designed to double as a mallet, mostly for knocking in tent stakes and taking care of other basic, non-precision hammering.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hammering
Verb
  • Plus, Skullcandy's Crusher Bass technology utilizes dedicated bass drivers to really give you a head-banging experience, sending bone-shattering bass pulsating through your skull.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026
  • An August heat wave brought record-shattering temperatures to Southern California.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of shattering
Verb
  • Following the attack, the Israeli military began forcing Palestinian families to leave their homes in parts of the city as forces began demolishing homes and businesses.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Photographs from Hebron showed Israeli bulldozers demolishing at least one Palestinian building.
    — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolishing
Verb
  • After destroying much of Gaza and killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, Israel has regained military control of nearly 70 percent of the strip.
    — Dalia Dassa Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But if firms lean on AI to cut lower-level work, the risk is destroying the very avenue of apprenticeship that produces future senior associates and managers.
    — Tim Brackney, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroying
Verb
  • Brady also took issue with a call against Detroit, suggesting Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes didn't deserve an unnecessary roughness flag for bumping running back MarShawn Lloyd after a pass sailed over Lloyd's head.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Goyard Saint Louis entered the top 10 ranking at number seven, bumping the Celine Ava off the list entirely, according to the report.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of bumping
Adjective
  • Larsson recorded 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists while posting an impressive plus/minus of plus 12 in 31 minutes off the bench.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
  • For a lot of people this spring, the question is no longer how to make the yard look impressive.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of impressive
Noun
  • And Poe, like all the great spooky writers, never explains the thumping but allows the mystery to linger!
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One guy in cargo shorts and a battered Ramones T-shirt kept casting dirty looks at the sky, clearly annoyed at the thumping of the TV news helicopters — there were at least three overhead at all times — drowning out his commentary.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of thumping

Browse Nearby Words

smashes
smashing
smashup
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Cite this Entry

“Smashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashing. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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