1
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
tried to restore their shattered hopes
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2
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
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3
as in to demolish
to cause to break with violence and much noise
shattered the priceless vase in one clumsy fall
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as in splinter
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Examples of shatter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 11 Sep. 2024
Their mother and other sister, all tight on money since their father’s death, fear for Nasreen’s wellbeing if her artistic pursuit were to shatter the safety of her middle-class life.
—Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for shatter 
Verb
Last Saturday, that tranquility was shattered leaving people on the road bloodied, scared and afraid, as recently-obtained 911 calls show.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 11 Sep. 2024
Their mother and other sister, all tight on money since their father’s death, fear for Nasreen’s wellbeing if her artistic pursuit were to shatter the safety of her middle-class life.
—Lauren Wissot, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2024
Noun
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
See all Example Sentences for shatter
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.
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“Shatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shatter. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
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