SHATTER Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

shatter 1 of 2

verb

ˈsha-tər

Definition of shatter

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in to demolish

to cause to break with violence and much noise shattered the priceless vase in one clumsy fall

Synonyms & Similar Words

shatter

2 of 2

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 shatter

Verb

Stokes testified the car was never hit and no glass was shattered. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026 Extreme heat from the dish or heat trapped between the pan or lid and the cooktop can damage or shatter the cooktop surface. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

Melamine is a shatter-resistant material that is perfect for outdoor dining—and all the potential accidents that come with busy households with kids or hosts who entertain a lot. — Erin Mayer, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026 When a window shatters, your entire home is at risk of collapse or even being blown away. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shatter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter

Verb

In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 drones into Russia inside cargo trucks to conduct strikes that damaged or destroyed roughly one-third of Russia’s active bomber fleet and caused approximately $7 billion in damages.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Some 36,000 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, and more than 2,000 people are still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

And yet the company's earnings garners scant attention compared to those names, to say nothing of Nvidia, which smashed expectations last week.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Bland said officers were dispatched after a 911 caller reported that Garcia had been walking down the street with a baseball bat, smashing car windows.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of smash

Noun

Los Lobos emerged as a splinter organization from Los Choneros and has established routes into Mexico through relationships with organizations including Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Treasury said.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
One day, while washing a wooden cutting board, a splinter lodged in my left index finger.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of splinter

Verb

The fight between a small Georgia community and tech giant Meta has escalated this week after four families filed a lawsuit against the company alleging a central Georgia data center project has contaminated their water and ruined their home values.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Gen, forgetting her swollen wrist, perks up at the thought of having a new person to ruin sheets with.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruin

Noun

But globs of liquid mercury worked just fine to show the melting shards coming together, even though its toxicity meant the special effects crew had to wear protective gear over the two-day shoot.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
According to a study published today in the journal PLOS One, pottery shards excavated from the famous Etowah mounds in present-day Georgia contain trace residues of the plant.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of shard

Verb

Rescue crews and foreign specialists are racing to find scores of workers feared trapped alive inside hydropower tunnels in Nepal, after thick mud buried the facilities during last week’s devastating flash floods.

— Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Travelers hoping to visit the Grand Canyon in coming days may want to adjust their plans after devastating flash flooding that has left at least two people dead and more than a dozen others missing.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of blow

Browse Nearby Words

sharp-witted

shatter

shattered

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Style

“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shatter

verb

noun

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