1
as in dispersion
an act or process in which something scatters or is scattered
the scattering of the protesters suddenly turned violent and chaotic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in handful
a small number
a scattering of people in the mostly empty theater
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dispersing
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
as in spraying
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
the hillside was scattered with boulders deposited by the last ice age
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in dissipating
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
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Recent Examples of scattering
Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Serve with a scattering of fresh parsley and extra lemon wedges for a bright finish.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Their clean collisions would allow more precise measurements of scattering amplitudes, making the FCC ultrasensitive to indirect signs of new physics.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Noun
This disturbance could provide a scattering of mainly light showers as early as Tuesday morning.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 12 Jan. 2026
Serve with a scattering of fresh parsley and extra lemon wedges for a bright finish.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
Birds have no real purpose in the game other than to notify nearby players that someone just walked through a flock, scattering them into the air.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Their clean collisions would allow more precise measurements of scattering amplitudes, making the FCC ultrasensitive to indirect signs of new physics.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scattering
Noun
-
To minimize chromatic aberration, the smart telescope is outfitted with a four-element apochromatic lens with extra-low-dispersion (ED) glass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This kind of dispersion from advanced markets like Japan to emerging economies like South Africa illustrates why a global lens matters.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there's just a single security checkpoint.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Even a handful of unscheduled TSA absences could quickly lead to longer wait times at smaller airports, for example, if there’s just a single security checkpoint.—
Rio Yamat,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Fit for purpose Next-gen designs could boost those gains by dispersing battery material around drone frames, electric motors, or other surfaces.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Some officers then deployed pepper balls, dispersing the crowd.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The scale of the war effort had necessitated the creation of a health infrastructure on American soil—spraying for mosquitoes near the front lines in the Pacific wouldn’t mean anything if soldiers caught malaria at home before deployment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Written and directed by Swift, the clip sees the singer fall in love with a fellow loner (Domhnall Gleeson) after spraying herself with a love potion fittingly called Opalite.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But one of those clusters later turned out to be a glitch in the data, and another only lasted for a few days before completely dissipating.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The recent snap of cold weather across Central Florida appears to be dissipating.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Los Angeles police issued a dispersal order Wednesday after a massive student protest over federal immigration enforcement efforts spiraled into violence in downtown LA.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
More demonstrators were also reported near Temple and Alameda streets by the federal building, where a dispersal order was issued.—
Anissa Rivera,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It’s turned rainy and cooler in the past couple of days, but the creosote bushes are blooming yellow.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
One of the most iconic couples of the 1990s, Carolyn and John’s place in Kennedy history was canonized by their untimely death by plane crash in 1999.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Then, to complete the deep clean, Lane suggests, sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot cycle with no detergent.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Player props have become such a big and fun part of betting on the big game, so here are 11 that are worth sprinkling a few bucks on.—
KC Joyner,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scattering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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