1
as in shatters
to cause to break with violence and much noise
the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in demolishes
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
the firecracker smashed the clay pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in destroys
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in slams
to come into usually forceful contact with something
we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collisions
a forceful coming together of two things
the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in crashes
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
the sound of the smash made all of the bystanders immediately whip their heads around
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
she gave the tennis ball a smash and sent it flying over the other side of the net
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in claps
a loud explosive sound
the bikes collided with a huge smash
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in hits
a person or thing that is successful
the new Broadway musical is a smash
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 smashes
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
The trend isn’t one-sided either, as clips have surfaced of brides being the ones to start the frosting fight, like in this TikTok video where a bride smashes a piece of cake on her groom’s face.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
In the United Kingdom, as fans wait for something new from the global pop star, one of her earlier career smashes returns to the top 40 and becomes a bestseller again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
There’s no time to get your bearings; an EDM drop smashes everything to pieces, then a pained voice croons in the rubble while drunkenly mashing a detuned guitar.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
The recent radio data uncovered delicate filaments aligned with magnetic fields, likely created as the pulsar wind smashes into leftover material from the stellar explosion.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Antonia smashes the conch—a very tough meat—into thin slices.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
After Marcus smashes Terry's head in with his own, Gladys drops the twig in the bowl of water to put an end to his violent frenzy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In some cases, these cake smashes have even ended in disaster or divorce.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
The ball smashes into the floodlights, and Hobbs sets off on his victory trot, in slow motion, with sparks cascading behind him like fireworks.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
The trend isn’t one-sided either, as clips have surfaced of brides being the ones to start the frosting fight, like in this TikTok video where a bride smashes a piece of cake on her groom’s face.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
In the United Kingdom, as fans wait for something new from the global pop star, one of her earlier career smashes returns to the top 40 and becomes a bestseller again.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
There’s no time to get your bearings; an EDM drop smashes everything to pieces, then a pained voice croons in the rubble while drunkenly mashing a detuned guitar.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
The recent radio data uncovered delicate filaments aligned with magnetic fields, likely created as the pulsar wind smashes into leftover material from the stellar explosion.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Antonia smashes the conch—a very tough meat—into thin slices.
—Peter Kelly, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2025
After Marcus smashes Terry's head in with his own, Gladys drops the twig in the bowl of water to put an end to his violent frenzy.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
Both smashes have spent 276 weeks on the chart as of this frame.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In some cases, these cake smashes have even ended in disaster or divorce.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smashes
Verb
-
The shift change shatters my sleep like a robin’s egg crashing against pavement.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Most sitcoms that cast celebrities to play themselves go the Thompson route, crafting a character that completely shatters the person’s public image.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Most of the time, a person’s immune system identifies and destroys these cells.—
Elizabeth Yuko,
Flow Space,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Jake and Vince have an unbreakable bond that destroys everyone and everything, but as Law points out, their issues are rooted in their early family life.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Washington Post slams Kamala Harris book tour, says Dems don't 'have time to waste' on former VP.—
,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The charging bear slams against the car as the door closes, swiping at the space where the man's head was moments before.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Overcoming the first challenge is necessary to avoid collisions in orbit, which not only threaten functioning satellites but can cause explosions that lead to more space debris.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The news Barkov of all people is out for the season was a shock in part because the reliable one has appeared in 86% of all Florida games including playoffs in his 12 seasons, a high number in a sport of high-speed collisions.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The way people typically die in intersections is often because of head-on and T-bone crashes, which the roundabout design addresses, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The sheriff’s office also posts about crashes in real time on Facebook feeds and on its app.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The assailant stopped mid-speech and delivered two blows straight to Antao’s face.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Large companies can absorb the blows, but the dry cleaner, toy importer, or family-run retailer cannot.—
Jacob Bennett,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Owen Wilson’s Stick has been renewed for a second season; the news was likely received to just mild golf claps among the online golfing community.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Bounces reporter Ben Rothenberg noted that the president received some claps as well.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hendrickson plays a premium position and still has a lot of juice as a four-time consecutive Pro Bowler who earned first-team All-Pro honors last season and has six QB hits and two sacks through three games in 2025.—
Max Dible,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
As has been the case for two decades, a multi-genre cultural blend focused on sing-along fun, driven by multi-platinum hits magnified through country music's century of traditions, will be highlighted.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share