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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
More than two dozen daily record-high temperatures were shattered in the Northeast so far this week, Weather.com said.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Aug. 2024
But a tragic accident involving one of their sons accidentally falling out of a second floor window as a helpless Alice looks on shatters the perfect harmony of their lives, and the besties are suddenly torn apart as guilt, suspicion and paranoia comes between them.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shatter 
Verb
The 2000s had barely begun before 9/11 shattered any further illusions of safety the ’90s had fostered.
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
More than two dozen daily record-high temperatures were shattered in the Northeast so far this week, Weather.com said.
—Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
The crackly, award-winning biscuit ($8) shatters between your teeth and smears a somewhat undignified but welcome peck of powdered sugar on your lips.
—Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Aug. 2024
But a tragic accident involving one of their sons accidentally falling out of a second floor window as a helpless Alice looks on shatters the perfect harmony of their lives, and the besties are suddenly torn apart as guilt, suspicion and paranoia comes between them.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for shatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter
Verb
-
Homes, roads and community spaces in the path of Helene have been destroyed.Patricia McIlreavy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
-
The protagonist Skif goes to Chernobyl on a mission to imbue the artifact left by the anomaly that destroyed his home with residual energy that radiates throughout the Zone.Issy van der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
But by the end of the third quarter, Berkshire Hathaway smashed its previous cash record by selling another quarter of its stake in the tech company, or 100 million shares, bringing its total shares to 300 million, down from 400 million.Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint kicked off Saturday’s nine Breeders’ Cup races with a smashing stretch duel and 5-horse blanket finish with longshot Soul of an Angel winning at 19/1 odds.Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
All the while, their connection deepens and splinters as life gets in the way and troubled pasts come to light.Megan Vick, EW.com, 28 Sep. 2024
-
The border has long seemed a political millstone for Democrats, a place where the party splinters on policy and the results are out of step with broad public opinion.Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 28 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
Lobby group Family Business UK said tens of thousands of family-run businesses and farms will be ruined by this change due to lower levels of inheritance tax relief.Marc Shoffman, theweek, 6 Nov. 2024
-
The ground floors of thousands of homes have been ruined.Hernán Muñoz and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The Lions demolished the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, putting up at least 50 points on their opponent for the second time this season.Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
-
Instead, Israel has conducted a campaign of broad devastation in Gaza, attacking the territory’s civilian population; demolishing its health, educational, and social infrastructure; and destroying its food production, shelter, and sources of potable water.John Spencer, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Advertisement Archaeologists also unearthed brooches, necklace beads, knives, and even a small shard of glass that may have served as an amulet.James Brooks, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
-
Ka’s music, which is largely self-produced, is at once stark and enveloping, a fugue of dread and predatory housing law punctured by shards and wisdom and, occasionally, discrete moments of joy.Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
The Durbin-Marshall legislation attempts to force down credit card processing fees paid by retailers via government mandates that would devastate the credit card rewards programs many consumers utilize.John Berlau, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
-
Jackson said she is still devastated over the loss of her youngest son.Kelly Davis, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Without breaking stride, Hunter blew past four more Utah defenders and hopped into the end zone, a broken play transformed into a work of art.Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
-
Oldenburg’s ode to Mies van der Rohe’s signature pocket square, the 12-foot fiberglass Handkerchief, will blow toward Park Avenue, and inside, a giant cloth saw will hug the walls and floor.Morgan Meier, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near shatter
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share