shatter 1 of 2

1
2
as in to smash
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive shattered the sealed clay pot to find out what was inside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

shatter

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noun

Examples 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 shatter
Verb
Where people are getting information instead has shattered into dozens of ecosystems. Axios, 8 Jan. 2025 One year ago, a massive explosion at a downtown Fort Worth hotel shattered the chilly afternoon calm just as the workday came to a close. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
Lamps shatter, biting and choking ensues, and by the time the 28 minutes are done, mayhem — literal and emotional — spills out from every corner. Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024 Just as the timer runs out, the windows on the house shatter and the oven door clangs open. Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shatter 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
  • Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
  • In turn, Jod destroyed the Supervisor, shutting down the safety droids and causing a blackout in the city.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • That was a record handle, smashing the previous year’s Super Bowl wagering in the state by $32 million.
    Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • That smashed the government’s forecast of 6.5% growth for the year, as well as last year’s growth figure of 5.05%. Exports, driven by electronics, smartphones, and garments, grew 14.3% in 2024 to reach $405.5 billion, and that helped drive Vietnam’s growth.
    Alena Botros, Fortune Asia, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Sunlight filtered by grey barn slats falls like splinters of hay on my brother’s shirt.
    Mary Brancaccio, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
  • In 1985, movies made for and about kids had a few more splinters.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
    Don Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Well, Neptune and his Wildcats might just be ruining the convenient narrative.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The plan is a major change for Jackson Memorial Hospital, which would demolish two office buildings across from a Metrorail station in 2027 to make way for affordable and workforce housing in two towers filled with shops, a hotel and more than 800 apartments.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
  • At least one of the buildings was soon to be demolished altogether, its red-brick walls dumped into its 1921 foundation.
    Jon Marcus, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Not this tiny Isis, or Byzantine slave bracelet, or blue-green shard of Roman glass.
    Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 10 Jan. 2025
  • While that was happening, the common window through which most Americans learned about the country and the world — TV, newspapers, radio — was shattered into dozens of shards of glass, based on consumer's personal preferences.
    Axios, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • What Happened in Hawaii? In August 2023, the Hawaiian town of Lahaina, on the northwest coast of the island of Maui, was devastated by a raging wildfire which killed 102 people and displaced thousands.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Wildfires have devastated Southern California since early last week, leaving thousands of residents displaced, their homes reduced to ash and rubble.
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Credit them with winning 10 games although losing three of their last four and blowing a chance to win the ACC championship and get into the playoff put a huge damper on the season.
    Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The enormity of the destruction emerges Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds blew embers, that ignited hillsides.
    John Seewer, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near shatter

Cite this Entry

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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