1
as in to shatter
to cause to break with violence and much noise
the drunken guest deliberately smashed a glass against the brick fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to demolish
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
the firecracker smashed the clay pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to destroy
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of
the invading troops smashed the resistance and went on to conquer the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bump
to come into usually forceful contact with something
we nearly smashed into each other on the skating rink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
the awful smash when his dreams got hit by reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in crash
the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact
the sound of the smash made all of the bystanders immediately whip their heads around
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
she gave the tennis ball a smash and sent it flying over the other side of the net
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in bang
a loud explosive sound
the bikes collided with a huge smash
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in hit
a person or thing that is successful
the new Broadway musical is a smash
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 smash
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Chinese crowds gathered for anti-Japan protests over a territorial dispute, smashed Japanese brand cars and vandalized Japanese restaurants.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
The publication of The Kid Stays in the Picture was a runaway smash, making Evans the king of cool once again.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smash
Verb
Beneath its loving re-creation of ’90s New York, there’s little in the way of larger ideas and, more fatally, actual feeling, its John and Carolyn functioning less as fleshed-out people than dolls for their creators to smash together.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2026
In 2012, Chinese crowds gathered for anti-Japan protests over a territorial dispute, smashed Japanese brand cars and vandalized Japanese restaurants.
—Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
Warm up with a plate of honey butter yeast rolls and the elk and bacon smash burger, and finish things off with a serving of banana pudding or a slice of three-layer chocolate cake.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
The publication of The Kid Stays in the Picture was a runaway smash, making Evans the king of cool once again.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smash
Verb
-
When Mom reached Dad on the telephone in the White House pantry to commiserate over the earth-shattering news, Dad’s response was disbelieving.—
John Wrory Ficklin,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But there are no predictions of record-shattering win totals this time – even as the Dodgers head into the season as favorites to three-peat.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The former Portage Township Schools Administration building will be the first to be demolished this spring when workers begin preparing to build the new Aylesworth Middle School.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The village is demolishing homes to make way for the redevelopment and will relocate residents elsewhere on campus, Timberlake said.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Shipwreck hunters have been searching the lakes with more urgency in recent years out of concerns that invasive quagga mussels are slowly destroying wrecks.—
Todd Richmond,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
However, archaeologists faced a significant challenge—how to penetrate its secrets without destroying it in the process?—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Since each comic scheduled for the night was allocated 10 minutes, Montoya decided to bump a performer and split the four drop-ins into five minutes each — two early on, and the last two at the end of the night.—
Anthony Solorzano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Some items now available at the fest, which began Jan 30, will go away at a predetermined (and published) date, replaced by other items that will, in turn, be bumped for a third option.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The logic behind this is that supermassive black hole binaries, which spiral together to lead to collisions and mergers, emit gravitational waves of increasing frequency as their orbits shrink, creating a background hum of gravitational waves.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Working out the math for the collision of, say, two five-solar-mass black holes, the amount of energy blasted out in less than a second by such a merger would be roughly the same as the sun will emit in seven trillion years.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Of course, the circumstances for why each band lost their personnel varies, such as illness (Mick Jones), death (the 1977 Skynyrd airplane crash), and the inevitable need for retirement.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Liberty police, with the help of the Kansas City Police Department, is investigating the crash.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Now there’s clear animosity between the teams, which is intriguing for the casual viewer but a blow to the curling community.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In an attempt to cushion this blow, Congress created a $50-billion Rural Health Transformation Project.—
Ana B. Ibarra,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With the bang of a gong, over 30,000 elite and amateur runners take to the streets, competing in a marathon, half marathon and 5k.—
Aaron E Martinez,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
-
This cut has the coolness of a long, rock-and-roll shag, but floatier layers and romantic, face-framing pieces, or curtain bangs, to bring it into 2026.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smash. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
