scattering 1 of 2

noun

ˈska-tə-riŋ How to pronounce scattering (audio)
Definition of scatteringnext
1
as in dispersion
an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in handful
a small number a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

scattering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of scatter
1
as in dispersing
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age

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3
as in dissipating
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole these drunken revelers will quickly scatter when the police arrive

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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 scattering
Noun
The shiny brioche bun from Peter Sciortino Bakery squishes just right, hugging a healthy swipe of sinus-clearing horseradish mayo and a scattering of pickled onions underneath. — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026 But thanks to atmospheric light scattering — the bouncing of photons off particles in the air — the area affected by the mirror's passage would be much wider, the study found. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
As waves travel through a farm, the buoys themselves alter them through effects such as scattering and shielding. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026 And that also literally happens in scattering experiments in quantum physics. — Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
  1. dispersion
  2. handful
  3. dispersing
  4. spraying
  5. dissipating
  6. dispersal
  7. couple
  8. sprinkling
Noun
  • Geographic dispersion might seem inefficient to a company that only considers its typical operating costs.
    — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The initiative will bring together computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with digital twins to rapidly model ammonia dispersion following a leak.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispersion
Noun
  • An introduction involving Spider-Man and a tank expanded from a handful of words into 11 shots and roughly 52 seconds of footage.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But as the technology and its use by federal agencies expands, a handful of people have taken matters into their own hands.
    — Hannah Chinn, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of handful
Verb
  • In contrast, peregrine falcons that breed in Alaska migrate almost directly south, dispersing across the Americas to wintering grounds that extend as far as southern South America.
    — Amy L. Scarpignato, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Israeli troops later arrived in Abu Falah and drove up to the village after dispersing the crowd in the olive groves.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dispersing
Verb
  • Combatting it typically requires spraying synthetic fungicides from large tractors, which is expensive and harmful to farmworkers, soil, and wine quality.
    — Matt Alderton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Yet after spraying the stuff up his nose for just three days, KFF notes the peptide user fell seriously ill.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of spraying
Verb
  • The storm then roared into Alabama with tropical-force winds before dissipating farther north.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Warm yet uplifting with a strong hit of black tea, Still Bloom's cardomom, sesame, and orange top notes hit like a shot of caffeine before dissipating into a mellow, comforting underbelly of musk, rose and cedarwood, to name a few.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of dissipating
Noun
  • In one of the recent demonstrations in the town of Lens on Monday, a 15-year-old had picked up a police dispersal grenade that detonated, losing his hand and part of his lower arm, officials said.
    — Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The team then used the ridges and scarps in regions less affected by the dispersal of debris to estimate the amount of contraction.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of dispersal
Noun
  • Finally, there is Jessenia, who is new to yachting but has been working on tugboats for the last couple of years.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Collins spent the weekend with the couple, Salerno and, at one point, Salerno’s date, America Diehl.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of couple
Verb
  • Huberman occasionally mentions other potential peptide risks, like cancer, sprinkling them into advice on how to take them.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
  • At Waxwork, the band got to make the vinyl themselves by sprinkling the dust onto the wax and pressing it.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sprinkling

Browse Nearby Words

scattered
scattering
scatterings
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Cite this Entry

“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scattering

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