as in handful
a small number
a smattering of guests at the art exhibit
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Recent Examples of smattering
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
On March 3, voters will determine which candidates will appear on the ballot in November representing each of the two major political parties in a smattering of races.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
There was a smattering of boos at full time.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The files arrived—hundreds of pages of medical data, a smattering of clues.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Noun
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock was interviewed by a smattering of reporters Monday night ahead of Super Bowl LX, and fortunately the queries were mostly tame.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
On March 3, voters will determine which candidates will appear on the ballot in November representing each of the two major political parties in a smattering of races.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026
There was a smattering of boos at full time.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The files arrived—hundreds of pages of medical data, a smattering of clues.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smattering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smattering
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
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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
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
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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
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Benito finds community with the like-minded Pleneros de la Cresta, who have been playing the island’s pattering folk music for over a decade.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Long trolling Trump in what many view as the lead-up to a 2028 White House bid by the two-term Democrat, Newsom’s missive comes in all caps and with the over-the-top self-aggrandizement that is common to POTUS himself — which is often the point.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2026
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Tony Romo got a little prophetic while trolling Swifties in 2023.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In his masterful first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, ghouls and spirits keep chattering away, as if at a corner barbershop, while Abraham Lincoln mourns his dead 11-year-old son, Willie.—
Pico Iyer,
Air Mail,
24 Jan. 2026
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Voices chattering in Yiddish mingle with clucking chickens, crowing roosters and accordion music drifting through a bustling outdoor market.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The man sitting in front of me—rugged, with a fine Rockwell Kent profile—tips forward and begins to emit gentle, bleating snores.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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And when her furry black-and-white friend follows her — bleating at her heels, eager for more affection — Kusimayu keeps walking.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
When the time came for Alan Cumming to cease deliberations, Michael was reduced to sputtering epithets in random sequences.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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The only constant is Mount Etna, looming off to one side, at times sputtering out smoke, ash, and short bursts of lava.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In an eventual 57-point Hurricanes victory, Stevenson was balling and jabbering about it, too, to every Wildcats pass catcher within earshot.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smattering. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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