1
as in sheath
something that encloses another thing especially to protect it
eating oysters straight out of their shells
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in structure
the arrangement of parts that gives something its basic form
workers at the shipyard have thus far erected the shell of the ship
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in exterior
an outer part or layer
the shell of the building is all glass, making it conspicuous on a street with mostly limestone facades
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shell
Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The Dodgers’ offense has been a shell of itself, as well.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 27 Apr. 2026
The Yankees also sent righty starting pitcher Luis Gil to Triple A on Sunday after the Astros shelled him for six runs in four innings.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shell
Noun
The restoration effort starts long before the shells ever make it into the field.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The Dodgers’ offense has been a shell of itself, as well.
—Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 15 May 2026
Verb
Peas Fresh peas, whether snow, snap, or shelled, hit the market around mid-April.
—Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 27 Apr. 2026
The Yankees also sent righty starting pitcher Luis Gil to Triple A on Sunday after the Astros shelled him for six runs in four innings.
—Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell
Noun
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Actor Cate Blanchett, here gracing the May 16 screening of James Gray’s Paper Tiger, definitely got the memo on the merits of the black sheath, and has kept the whole train/no-train/big-dress/little-dress debate begun at last year’s festival down to a dull roar.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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This week, the Archaeological Museum at the University of Stavanger in Norway announced its recent acquisition of a magnificent sheath, thanks to a curious hiker out for a walk one morning.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The object no longer belongs to its origin or to its own agency, but to the structures that contain it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The fire has burned two historic structures on the island, which is home to rare plant species like the Torrey pine.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Bastrop County detectives found evidence that Aviles had been dragged, strangled and assaulted, noting mud on her clothing and feet, bruising on her neck, chin and lip, and blood on her face and the exterior of her car.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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Standing adjacent to the Orion capsule, the Blue Moon crew cabin and exterior resemble the design of the lander's Mark 2 variant, which will eventually land Artemis astronauts on the moon, if all goes according to plan.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Most of these guys bomb because they can’t get used to the losing.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2026
-
Well this immigrant grandma never murdered 180 schoolgirls in Iran by bombing them to pieces.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Investigators found shell casings from the scene and obtained surveillance footage showing a black sedan involved in the shooting.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
-
Also, at the new stations the pathway between the train tracks and the escalator casings is significantly narrower than at the older stations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Florida should reject any framework that treats them as such.—
Kimberly Bird,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
That framework, Yeon says, distinguishes Korean commercial cinema from other markets.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Then read our picks for the best telescopes for observing the night sky in 2026, along with our guide to observing the lunar surface.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
19 May 2026
-
Destroy the attraction to your home by thoroughly cleaning surfaces where ants have traveled.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 May 2026
Verb
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In the book, Turrubiate-Simpson questioned why the dogs weren't barking near the kennel right before the murders are thought to have taken place.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
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But investigators eventually cracked the passcode on Paul Murdaugh’s phone and found a video with a barking dog and Alex Murdaugh’s voice admonishing it five minutes before the young man stopped using his phone.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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