shattered; shattering; shatters
1
: to cause to drop or be dispersed
2
a
: to break at once into pieces
b
: to damage badly : ruin
3
: to cause the disruption or annihilation of : demolish
1
: to break apart : disintegrate
2
: to drop off parts (such as leaves, petals, or fruit)
2
: an act of shattering : the state of being shattered
3
: a result of shattering : shower
Synonyms
Examples of shatter in a Sentence
Verb
The rock shattered the window.
His dreams were shattered by their rejection.
The end of his marriage shattered him emotionally.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The room above the cellar had been razed, and the second door had been shattered; the Russians below had hung up sheets to prevent the Ukrainian drones from seeing down the stairs.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Gouges from thousands of meteorite impacts mark the moon, which scientists believe was nearly shattered by a giant impact long ago.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Game 1: Royals on pace to shatter team pitching record after 10-1 win over White Sox
Game 2: The Kansas City Royals are back to .500 after late rally
Game 3: A KC Royals ...
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Inside the unfolding recovery of the Fetterman family. Sept. 23, 2023
Jan. 6 shattered her family.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The incident started about 10:50 a.m. when a man walked into a jewelry store at Grossmont Shopping Center, pulled a hammer from his waistband and shattered the glass front of the display case.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
These three autobiographies, authored by remarkable women who have shattered countless glass ceilings, each offer a distinct perspective on leadership and resilience.
—Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has shattered the foundations of daily life.
—Cate Brown, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Biting into one of the precise, oblong pieces, the effect is texture-first, a cross between the crackle-squish of popcorn and the shatter of well-lacquered Peking duck skin.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2023
Rucker and her longtime right-hand baker Krystle Shelton have the gift: The texture flakes and shatters against the teeth and promptly melts into a memory of butter.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024
Perhaps the last 12 months will serve as one of those transitional moments in Hollywood history, a time where the old paradigms shatter and a period of creative resurgence blossoms in their wreckage.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Dec. 2023
The video, obtained by Fox Weather, shows the glass shatter, prompting the family inside to jump out of their seats and scurry away while a man went after the deer.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
There, a man named William McGuiness heard glass shatter and saw Lopes holding a large rock over his head before Chesna arrived.
—Ivy Scott, BostonGlobe.com, 8 June 2023
However, in the final hour, the picture formulated for the audience shatters, and something else altogether unveils itself.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2023
Would an asteroid shatter on impact?
—Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2019
Verb
The trial shattered viewership records for both courtroom streaming services, and showed that public interest in the intersection of fame and courtroom drama has not abated.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The room above the cellar had been razed, and the second door had been shattered; the Russians below had hung up sheets to prevent the Ukrainian drones from seeing down the stairs.
—Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Gouges from thousands of meteorite impacts mark the moon, which scientists believe was nearly shattered by a giant impact long ago.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Game 1: Royals on pace to shatter team pitching record after 10-1 win over White Sox
Game 2: The Kansas City Royals are back to .500 after late rally
Game 3: A KC Royals ...
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Inside the unfolding recovery of the Fetterman family. Sept. 23, 2023
Jan. 6 shattered her family.
—Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The incident started about 10:50 a.m. when a man walked into a jewelry store at Grossmont Shopping Center, pulled a hammer from his waistband and shattered the glass front of the display case.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2024
These three autobiographies, authored by remarkable women who have shattered countless glass ceilings, each offer a distinct perspective on leadership and resilience.
—Dr. Ruth Gotian, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Israel’s retaliatory war in Gaza has shattered the foundations of daily life.
—Cate Brown, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024
Noun
Blocks of rubble, the skeletal remains of homes and shops, survivors living in the shatters who spoke of starvation and horror, collecting rainwater or risking their lives to go to the river, where soldiers shot at them.
—Phil Klay, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Biting into one of the precise, oblong pieces, the effect is texture-first, a cross between the crackle-squish of popcorn and the shatter of well-lacquered Peking duck skin.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2023
Rucker and her longtime right-hand baker Krystle Shelton have the gift: The texture flakes and shatters against the teeth and promptly melts into a memory of butter.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024
Perhaps the last 12 months will serve as one of those transitional moments in Hollywood history, a time where the old paradigms shatter and a period of creative resurgence blossoms in their wreckage.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Dec. 2023
The video, obtained by Fox Weather, shows the glass shatter, prompting the family inside to jump out of their seats and scurry away while a man went after the deer.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
There, a man named William McGuiness heard glass shatter and saw Lopes holding a large rock over his head before Chesna arrived.
—Ivy Scott, BostonGlobe.com, 8 June 2023
However, in the final hour, the picture formulated for the audience shatters, and something else altogether unveils itself.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Apr. 2023
Would an asteroid shatter on impact?
—Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shatter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shatter
Cite this Entry
“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shatter. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share