as in handful
a small number
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smattering
Bracey Harris, NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Cubs fans greeted Sosa with cheers and only a smattering of boos, which were drown out by the loud applause.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
By the end, there was a smattering of boos coming down after a 4-0 loss to the Utah Hockey Club.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Freshly prepared rolls from the sushi bar are paired here with a smattering of seasonal tipples — each one built around an elevated base spirit.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smattering 
Noun
So far, New Orleans has had only a smattering of power outages and no major issues with its water supply.
—Bracey Harris, NBC News, 22 Jan. 2025
Cubs fans greeted Sosa with cheers and only a smattering of boos, which were drown out by the loud applause.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
By the end, there was a smattering of boos coming down after a 4-0 loss to the Utah Hockey Club.
—Michael Russo, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Freshly prepared rolls from the sushi bar are paired here with a smattering of seasonal tipples — each one built around an elevated base spirit.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smattering
Noun
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Their list of alumnae dwarfs that of many professional clubs: Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Heather O’Reilly, Tobin Heath, Lucy Bronze, Crystal Dunn, Alessia Russo and Emily Fox, to name just a handful.—
Jeff Rueter,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
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Our luxurious experience was markedly different from that of the handful of people who, despite the incredibly challenging climate southwestern Tasmania is known for, once managed to eke out a living in this region.—
Justin Meneguzzi,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But Boise State would score just three points in the final couple of minutes as the Aztecs completed a regular season sweep over the Broncos.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Feb. 2025
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Watching him ping-pong passes with LeBron James, one of the few players whose court intelligence matches his own, during his first couple of games in the Lakers’ lineup has been thrilling, and James, who has cared as much about conditioning as any player in history, can show him how it’s done.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near smattering
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smattering. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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