as in handful
a small number
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 smattering
Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 July 2025
Trump’s critics, however, have pushed back, saying the smattering of court injunctions reflects that the president has been acting lawlessly on birthright citizenship and other areas.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 27 June 2025
That is, until a defensive pass interference flag thrown during his winding 37-yard return turned a roaring cheer into a smattering of boos from the home crowd, deflating a comeback.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
And that's a smattering of the news from last week.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Verb
Some locals don't see the house as a top priority
While the unanimous motion drew a smattering of applause in the room, not everyone is thrilled about this use of village funds.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 July 2025
Trump’s critics, however, have pushed back, saying the smattering of court injunctions reflects that the president has been acting lawlessly on birthright citizenship and other areas.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 27 June 2025
That is, until a defensive pass interference flag thrown during his winding 37-yard return turned a roaring cheer into a smattering of boos from the home crowd, deflating a comeback.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
And that's a smattering of the news from last week.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smattering
Noun
-
The fight, which was set up over a month ago on Smackdown and was heavily promoted since then, marked Jelly Roll’s first official match as a wrestler after making a handful of appearances at WWE events over the past year.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Rocky instead took a handful of his father’s sleeping pills.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Guests seemed to enjoy eating as couples or with friends.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The couple split up in 2011 and Michael died of heart failure on Christmas 2016.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But if the reform process lags and if Bangladesh's sputtering economy doesn't improve, the public's patience could start to wear thin for an administration that for now enjoys ample support.—
Michael Kugelman,
NPR,
21 Dec. 2024
-
Those reports have unnerved British officials, who fear the tariffs could throttle the country’s already sputtering economic growth.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smattering. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share