1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
tried to restore their shattered hopes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in to demolish
to cause to break with violence and much noise
shattered the priceless vase in one clumsy fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in splinter
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shatter
Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Police are disinclined to notice as rocks are hurled and windows shatter.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Unwilling to shatter her image, Maddie unravels quietly, in secret, threatening her relationships and even her life.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Verb
Constructed from shatter-resistant plastic with adhesive rubber feet to attach to the bottom, the drawers are suitable for organizing just about anything, including cosmetics, snacks, pet food and treats, trinkets, laundry essentials, index cards, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2025
Police are disinclined to notice as rocks are hurled and windows shatter.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
Trump’s threat shattered a monthslong calm on Wall Street, and the S&P 500 fell as much as 2% on worries about rising tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Unwilling to shatter her image, Maddie unravels quietly, in secret, threatening her relationships and even her life.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
-
The fear of further Israeli strikes, particularly on Iran, remains acute in the public’s mind as much of Iranian air defenses likely were destroyed by Israel in June.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Wild were absolutely destroyed in the faceoff circle, losing 44 of 71 (38 percent success rate).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That property happened to be a $60,000 Boston police cruiser equipped with computers and other technology that was smashed and torched.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Vultee aircraft completed a flight from Los Angeles to New York in 11 hours and 34 minutes and 16 seconds, smashing the existing record of 12 hours for that distance.—
Stuart Dyos,
Nashville Tennessean,
12 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The revelation felt like a splinter that lodged itself in Kai’s heart.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
There’s splinters on the floor.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Back in January, Preston remembered filming My Best Friend’s Wedding — and how an iconic scene ruined crab and lobster for her.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Packages of flying tortillas thrown at the wrong time, or pocket knives, would only hurt a reputation that Texas Tech has worked doggedly to change and show that the Red Raiders are at home on a national stage, and not the crazy drunk uncle ruining a holiday.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Neighbors for a Better San Diego, a group that represents mostly single-family homeowners and opposes nearby higher-density development, criticized the report for not tracking how many homes get demolished to make way for new projects.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The Premier League club had previously intended to demolish the Peter Taylor Stand — the oldest, and smallest, of the City Ground’s four — and replace it with an entirely new structure, increasing capacity from just over 30,000 to around 35,000.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Out of the shards, a message Douglass continued studying how the Malagasy have interacted with and adapted to their changing environment and climate over time.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
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The assault left four members dead and numerous others physically injured, some from gunshots, others by smoke inhalation and still others gashed and bleeding from shrapnel and shards of glass.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Public school advocates like William Phillis, a former official at the Ohio Department of Education, fear the change would devastate public schools.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
8 Oct. 2025
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However, in places like Crow Creek Tribal School in South Dakota, Superintendent Rob Coverdale says the fee could devastate hiring efforts.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But then a ref blew the whistle as the buzzer sounded, giving Duke two meaningless free throws while up by four.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The two shared a playful moment, dancing together before Charli slipped her sunglasses onto Role Model’s face, blew him a kiss, and made her exit.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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