SHATTERING Synonyms: 181 Similar and Opposite Words

shattering

verb

present participle of shatter

as in destroying

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

as in smashing

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 demolishing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shattering You’re always getting blindsided by massive, earth-shattering events. — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 The only trace left of a content shoot earlier in the day is a smidge of smokey eye makeup, while a pair of black, ankle-shattering Jimmy Choo stilettos have been replaced with khaki trainers. — Sophie Williams, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Yet after months of record-shattering extreme heat, wildfires and perhaps the strongest El Niño in living memory, will fall foliage also fall victim to the weather? — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 The texture is lacy and light like a potato chip, shattering at the tap of a spoon or chomp of your teeth. — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Oct. 2026 Surveillance video shows three vehicles circling the parking lot before a white Toyota Tacoma barrels through the storefront, shattering glass and sending employees running. — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 In fact, they aren’t made of glass at all; they’re made of polycarbonate, a plastic material that mimics the look of a wonky funhouse reflector, to prevent people from shattering the surface and using broken shards as weapons. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026 Still, the channel has always proven to be resilient — a veritable phoenix that keeps rising stronger and ever more creative after world-shattering events such as 9/11, the SARS outbreak and the 2008 world financial crisis. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026 Downtown Los Angeles broke a daily heat record Monday with the mercury reaching 104, shattering the previous record of 101 set in 1954 and tied in 1971. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shattering

Verb

Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Saturday, spawning tornadoes, destroying buildings and downing power lines across the Gulf region.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 13 Oct. 2026
Israeli soldiers filmed themselves in high definition laughing, looting homes, destroying entire rows of buildings, humiliating civilians, even killing them.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroying

Verb

Holt had been smashing the glass of a jewelry kiosk stand with a blunt object, police said.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026
Perhaps the squad took his ball-respecting mantra to its logical extreme, seemingly reluctant to sully it by smashing it into the net, with Chelsea recording the biggest xG underperformance in the Premier League during his brief tenure.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of smashing

Verb

As wet electrodes get thicker, the liquid binder migrates unevenly during drying, ruining the battery‘s structure.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Seaver also allegedly threatened to start a podcast dedicated to ruining Parton’s image unless he was paid.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruining

Verb

This is not the first time a coach in LAUSD has gotten into trouble trying to improve a facility, with the district issuing disciplinary action and demolishing the improvement because it was not authorized.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
On Thursday, the judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days' notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of demolishing

Verb

Overall, climate change is weakening the winds — but won’t save SoCal from devastating fires.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The region has already been saturated by heavy rain over the past months, and regions like New Mexico and Grand Canyon were hit by devastating floods earlier this month.

— Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of devastating

Verb

This inspires Other Mommy to gruesomely kill Frank in front of Bela, including blowing his head up in an outrageous explosion of blood.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Gray noise, per The New York Times, may sound like wind blowing or steady rainfall and works for apartment dwellers sensitive to sharp or fluctuating noises.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of blowing

Verb

Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick crossed the line while wrecking after Larson hit the wall trying to chase down Briscoe on the final turn.

— Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Her first job as CEO in 2014 was to remake the century-old company’s corporate culture and regain customers’ trust following a tragic, reputation-wrecking ignition-switch crisis.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of wrecking

Verb

Carousel music mixed with the thunderous roar of roller coaster carts exploding through dizzying loops and heart-stopping drops.

— Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
The team that finished 24th in the league in runs scored, exploding for seven runs in game one of the ALCS against one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of exploding

Browse Nearby Words

shattered

shattering

shatters

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shattering. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shattering

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes