as in handfuls
a small number
played before only a scatter of spectators in that huge stadium
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disperses
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 sprays
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 dissipates
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 scatters
Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
In a cluttered room, that beam scatters in every direction.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Even a hit isn’t clean—some materials are highly reflective, meaning laser energy bounces off the drone and scatters, potentially causing blinding.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The Problem of Bureaucracy in Scaling Enterprises Business expansion scatters work across codebases, project management tools, chat platforms, and docs.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Their innovation, called retina E-paper, uses nanoparticles to control how light scatters, achieving lifelike color reproduction that can be tuned electrically.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Weed scatters and falls between the wood slats.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The youth suddenly drops to the ground as the crowd scatters, the video shows.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
This happens because its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters away the shorter blue wavelengths and lets the longer red tones pass through, an effect known as Rayleigh scattering.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
As the light journeys along the fiber, little by little, some scatters off the glass molecules themselves and is lost.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But Orlandoans who, in years to come, will see and admire the graceful little tree that scatters yellow blooms in the Leu gardens, will know of one that did.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Cosmos is a low-maintenance annual that grows quickly and scatters seed widely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Most of the data simply scatters into the void.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
This reddish color, often referred to as a blood moon, happens because Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, allowing the longer-wavelength red light to reach the moon.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
Pea gravel shifts and scatters.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
In a cluttered room, that beam scatters in every direction.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Even a hit isn’t clean—some materials are highly reflective, meaning laser energy bounces off the drone and scatters, potentially causing blinding.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The Problem of Bureaucracy in Scaling Enterprises Business expansion scatters work across codebases, project management tools, chat platforms, and docs.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Their innovation, called retina E-paper, uses nanoparticles to control how light scatters, achieving lifelike color reproduction that can be tuned electrically.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Weed scatters and falls between the wood slats.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Scientists believe seasonal winter clouds and hazes in the region may be limiting how atmospheric dust scatters sunlight there.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The youth suddenly drops to the ground as the crowd scatters, the video shows.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
This happens because its light passes through more of Earth's atmosphere, which scatters away the shorter blue wavelengths and lets the longer red tones pass through, an effect known as Rayleigh scattering.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
As the light journeys along the fiber, little by little, some scatters off the glass molecules themselves and is lost.
—John Ballato, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026
But Orlandoans who, in years to come, will see and admire the graceful little tree that scatters yellow blooms in the Leu gardens, will know of one that did.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2026
Cosmos is a low-maintenance annual that grows quickly and scatters seed widely.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Most of the data simply scatters into the void.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
This reddish color, often referred to as a blood moon, happens because Earth's atmosphere scatters sunlight, allowing the longer-wavelength red light to reach the moon.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatters
Noun
-
To begin, lab assistant Julia Butac empties a burlap bag of beans into a bin and starts to sift them a couple handfuls at a time, removing anything that isn't a full bean.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 May 2026
-
Doctors, only with bombs bursting in air, twin eagles threatening, soldiers flying, a robed Trump healing, handfuls of white light and the miracle of thick hair no longer in need of a combover.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rodighiero and her team already have their suspicions about how the red and blue monsters can coexist in the early universe—perhaps the blue galaxies are in fact born from the red ones as the dust disperses.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Criminalization disperses suffering, while prevention reduces suffering.—
Ray Bramson,
Washington Post,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The violent collision sprays a jet of electrons, positrons, and other particles down into a cloud at a random angle.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
-
When it is finished, maybe a year from now, Bayfront Park will be the city’s front yard, a gathering place to celebrate culture and be dazzled by technology -- laser beams that shoot into the evening sky and a fountain that sprays 60 feet high.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the chaos soon dissipates, as does most of the fire.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
20 May 2026
-
The cedar scent in mulch dissipates over time, which is why most landscape companies recommend reapplying fresh mulch every three months.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
According to data from FertilityIQ, an educational platform for individuals and couples navigating infertility and family building, the average cost of IVF treatment and medication is more than $20,000.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
-
From modern parenting struggles to social media trends and suburban chaos, the show delivers clean, candid comedy for couples, parents, and anyone navigating adulthood.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Pastry chef Sahar Shomali, Kouzeh’s owner, sprinkles her version with black and white sesame seeds, cumin and fresh dill.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Use a watering can or hose that sprinkles the water to evenly distribute it among the seeds.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At the intersection of climate and faith, the documentary brings audiences inside one of the most isolated communities in America, a conservative Christian fishing town on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay fighting to hold on as the land beneath them disappears.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Tax savings are real, but when the tax tail starts wagging the family dog, reversibility quietly disappears.—
Royce Ramey,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Prepare to be dazzled from Warsaw’s highest viewing terrace atop Varso Tower, which proudly dots the skyline, before eating your way through the innovative food halls that define the coolest neighborhoods.—
Kasia Dietz,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
-
Japanese linens top the bed, and designer furniture dots the living space.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scatters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatters. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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