1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

spatter 1 of 2

verb

ˈspa-tər How to pronounce spatter (audio)
Definition of spatternext
1
as in to splash
to cause (something liquid or mushy) to move along in sheets a passing car spattered mud on her clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to splatter
to wet or soil by striking with something liquid or mushy the dog vigorously shook himself, spattering the carpet and walls with water

Synonyms & Similar Words

spatter

2 of 2

noun

as in splash
a very small amount a spatter of praise for her work was mixed in with quite a lot of criticism

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 spatter
Verb
Her body and head had significant trauma, and there were large amounts of blood on the garage floor and spattered on the walls, according to the affidavit. — Katie Langford, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2026 Cook, undisturbed, until deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes (fat will spatter as the meat cooks, so stand back). — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
He was shown pictures and videos from the prosecution of the state of the house, including blood spatter. — Penny Kmitt, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Don’t forget to wipe down the outside of your oven door to remove any spatters. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spatter
  1. splash
  2. splatter
  3. sprinkling
  4. speck
  5. shred
  6. glimmer
  7. hint
  8. bit
Verb
  • The video begins with Meghan and Harry walking hand-in-hand outdoors before transitioning to several family moments, including a child warming their feet by a fireplace and Meghan wearing rain boots while splashing through a muddy puddle.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Another clip showed Meghan splashing in a muddy puddle before shifting to footage of Princess Lilibet riding a bike.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Vigilantes have covered the cameras in trash bags, splattered them with paint, and even sawed them down.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Shirts at her booth had been splattered by grease from nearby food trucks.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of splatter
Noun
  • Danny Boyle adopts a similar strategy with this snazzy screen adaptation, shot through with kinetic energy, convulsive editing and a liberal sprinkling of post-punk, electro-pop and indie rock that thumbs its nose at period accuracy.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Her clothes are simple but bright, with sometimes a bit of shiny thread or a sprinkling of sequins; décolletage is a thing of the future.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sprinkling
Noun
  • To make matters worse, the Houthis have captured new terrain in Yemen and acquired Perim Island, a speck of land inside the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint that better positions the Yemeni militia to intercept oil tankers.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • Sometimes it is mired in self-delusion, like Toni’s obsession with his Neapolitan origins, perhaps the single shred of glamor in his otherwise unenviable family background.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Some of these cabinet members have even maintained, without a shred of evidence, that Syria’s president, the former jihadist Ahmed al-Shara, is preparing to attack Israel.
    — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • Although the proffer glitch gave the defense what appeared to be a glimmer of hope, Long’s recording, too, was played for jurors.
    — John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Peppered amid the challenges for 2025 were glimmers of hope through successes like Weapons ($270 million globally on a $38 million budget), while modestly budgeted reboots Freakier Friday and Final Destination Bloodlines also turned profits.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of glimmer
Noun
  • But the Italianate fountains at the entrance is your first hint that a resort wonderland awaits.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026
  • While there is no water vapor, JWST has picked up hints of solid particles of crystalline water-ice.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • The 3-1 margin of victory could have been wider had City not at times missed that final bit of polish at Joie Stadium.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Prince and Princess of Wales have been largely out of the spotlight recently, spending the remaining bits of the summer with their three children before school begins for each.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of bit

Browse Nearby Words

spatted
spatter
spattered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spatter. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All