as in handful
a small number
played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to disperse
to cause (members of a group) to move widely apart
the noise of the backfiring car scattered the pigeons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to dissipate
to go off in different directions and cease to exist as a body or unified whole
these drunken revelers will quickly scatter when the police arrive
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 scatter
John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2025
To date, all items raised from the Titanic have been recovered from within a 15-square-mile debris field — a vast underwater scatter zone formed when the ship broke apart during its final descent.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 July 2025
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
Years of mergers, cloud migrations and siloed operations have scattered information across countless systems with inconsistent definitions and unclear ownership.
—Jay Limburn, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scatter
Noun
When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface.
—John Tufts, The Courier-Journal, 11 July 2025
To date, all items raised from the Titanic have been recovered from within a 15-square-mile debris field — a vast underwater scatter zone formed when the ship broke apart during its final descent.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 July 2025
Verb
Here, neutrons knock protons out of a thin polyethylene foil – and their scattering angles depend on the energies of the neutrons.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
Years of mergers, cloud migrations and siloed operations have scattered information across countless systems with inconsistent definitions and unclear ownership.
—Jay Limburn, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scatter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatter
Noun
-
But only a handful of his nominees have been confirmed by the Senate because of resistance from Democrats.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This new ambassadorship will see Doja Cat, born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, star in a series of global campaigns for the brand, featuring a handful of bestselling products.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirk is thrown backwards by the shot, which appeared to hit his neck, before the crowd disperses in panic.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Video taken at the event shows that, just seconds later, the sound of a gunshot was heard as Kirk appeared to be struck in the head or neck while the crowd around him dispersed in a panic.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Leaving the liner hanging on the shower rod and curtain rings, spray the solution generously all over the shower curtain liner.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Villareal personally sprayed 158 helmets, sometimes spending upward of 15 hours a day working to get the BSU gear ready on time.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kiko has dissipated in the central Pacific Ocean but there is a new disturbance forecasters are keeping tabs on.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Instead of sound radiating out at all angles, the sound is redirected by solid glass upwards to initially dissipate vertically instead of horizontally.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The couple shared two children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son, according to posts on social media.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Earlier in the week, the couple attended the fourth annual Kering Foundation Caring for Women dinner—the most talked about NYFW benefit.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Drizzle caramel over pistachios, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The clinical nature of the autopsy report is stark against the remnants of Pauline’s humanity, sprinkled throughout the 11 pages.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
The Tennessean,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Join the thousands of shoppers who have already scooped up these under-the-radar sales that are about to disappear.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Examples include a Brazilian boy who had his pancreatic malformation disappear in 2013.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The large lobby-level bar is dotted with couches and an open fireplace.—
Heather Richardson,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Unsurpringly, 50 pieces of rodent regularity dotted the floor of the dry storage shed and three rodent droppings under the Frosty machine.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatter. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share