SMASHES Synonyms: 375 Similar and Opposite Words

smashes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of smash

as in shatters

to cause to break with violence and much noise the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in demolishes

to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive the firecracker smashed the clay pot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in destroys

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of the invading troops smashed the resistance and went on to conquer the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slams

to come into usually forceful contact with something we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smashes

2 of 2

noun

plural of smash

as in collisions

a forceful coming together of two things the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in crashes

the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact the sound of the smash made all of the bystanders immediately whip their heads around

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument she gave the tennis ball a smash and sent it flying over the other side of the net

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in claps

a loud explosive sound the bikes collided with a huge smash

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in hits

a person or thing that is successful the new Broadway musical is a smash

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 smashes

Verb

The episode’s action-movie finale drops the rest of the episode’s spoofy meta humor and aims at straight drama, as Butcherbird smashes through Katerina’s security detail and drops her disguise. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 The company essentially smashes the cooler into a long, slim form low enough to slide under its Box beds while one or two people snore cozily away on top. — New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026 His acumen for promotion, particularly in international markets, helped the commercial success of box office smashes such as Saturday Night Fever and Raiders of the Lost Ark. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026 The bamboo smashes into bone and the scene in my mind bursts into a million white pieces. — Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026 The parents can be seen in the video rushing toward their children as the car smashes through the fence. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026 That is less than half as many as the set that produced many of his signature smashes and turned him into a chart-topper. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets). — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 The oncoming vehicle then smashes into his SUV, the footage shows. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

The shapeshifting director, whose credits range from the Oscar-winning romance Call Me by Your Name to the horror remake Suspiria, had worked with the company regularly, on commercial smashes (Challengers) and misfires (After the Hunt) alike. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Her career count on the former roster recently moved beyond 100 smashes after multiple tracks from No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto debuted last week. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Cinemas are on course for their best financial year since before the coronavirus pandemic, powered by large-scale hits such as The Odyssey and surprise small-budget smashes, particularly Obsession and Backrooms. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026 The track — with its croaking guitar, cymbal smashes, and stuttering vocals — sounds nothing like Brat’s gleaming, clubby gems (or the bouncy pop-punk of her 2014 LP Sucker, for that matter). — Caryn Ganz, Rolling Stone, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smashes

Verb

With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
The attack underscores a widening front in the Iran war and shatters a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in Yemen’s civil war.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of shatters

Verb

An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.

— Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

Definition of demolishes

Verb

This overfeeding triggers a runaway nuclear explosion that usually destroys the white dwarf.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
The more useful skill for leaders and investors is learning to distinguish between a problem that destroys value and one that can be solved in a way that creates it.

— Michael Ligon, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroys

Verb

There’s seat-shaking violence in how the whale breaches the surface and slams its weight back down (the crafty sound design is by James Miller) and body horror in its claustrophobic, spongy inner chambers.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
There are currently more than 85,000 customers without power across the Northeast, including New York City and Connecticut, as an intensifying early-season nor’easter slams the region with strong wind, soaking rain and coastal flooding.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of slams

Noun

Helmet-to-helmet crashes happen in the NFL and usually a flag is thrown if the player on the receiving end of the damage is considered to be a defenseless player or a defender leads with their helmet when making a tackle – not the opposite.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
The discussion quickly shifted to include education, infrastructure and the involvement of other vehicles in e-bike crashes.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of crashes

Noun

The entire gymnasium roared with claps and cheers, the loudest and most fervent applause of the evening.

— Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
The Golf Channel would always be playing in the background; the soft claps were the soundtrack to our slow Saturdays.

— Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of claps

Browse Nearby Words

smashed

smashes

smashing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Smashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smashes. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of smashes

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes