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

Seconds later, a powerful explosion blasted through the doorway, shattering windows and sending vertical blinds and debris flying as firefighters quickly retreated from the building. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Republican Rick Jackson shattered spending records in Georgia by spending $108 million of his own money into his campaign for governor. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 2 July 2026

Noun

However, their brief moment of peace shatters when Amy’s husband shoots Danny while searching for her. — Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026 The former should be soft and slightly flexible, such as rubber, and the latter should be impact- and shatter-resistant, such as polycarbonate. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shatter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shatter

Verb

The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 2 July 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

The Marlins smashed 12 home runs against the A’s, their most ever in a three-game series.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Djokovic became so frustrated that he was given a code violation warning for smashing a racket, before eventually hauling himself over the line.

— Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of smash

Verb

The East Wing of the White House was demolished suddenly in October 2025, and construction at the site, which will be the location of a new 22,000-square-foot ballroom, has continued through mid-2026.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Just months later, in October, the East Wing had been demolished without notice to make way for the new ballroom.

— Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Definition of demolish

Noun

With grit and one-liners, this American hero navigates air vents and glass shards to save the day.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Two GB10s leverage a software technology called tensor parallelism to split, or shard, an AI model across both machines, harnessing them as a team to share the load and deliver results.

— Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of shard

Verb

Twin earthquakes on June 24 devastated Venezuela, with more than 3,300 deaths and more than 30,000 people reported missing.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Their larvae, which burrow into the flesh of cattle and can be fatal if untreated, can devastate wildlife and bring financial ruin to ranchers.

— Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 4 July 2026

Definition of devastate

Verb

One interception attempt resulted in a large explosion that spectacularly blew the roof off a fuel tank.

— Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
After the final whistle blew and this Norway team had made history, Haaland took a moment and looked into the Norwegian cheering section, trying to process what had just happened.

— Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 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 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of shatter

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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