as in handful
a small number
we received only a smatter of complaints about the book
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as in to patter
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Recent Examples of smatter
Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2022
Outside a car wash where two people died, a smatter of small bloodstains can still be seen on the white exterior wall.
—Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
The apartment is immaculate—done up in charcoal and silver, with gilded accents and a tasteful smatter of lucite.
—Mattie Kahn, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2018
Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
Glover’s patchwork ethos is smattered across its seven installments.
—WIRED, 17 Mar. 2023
Lee is also now taking a smattering reps at first base as expected entering the spring.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 17 Mar. 2023
The movie is smattered with deep focus cinematography, led by the director of photography Jomo Fray.
—Omar Sanchez, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2020
During the class, remember to look out at the trees, to the sculptures smattered throughout, to the family of deer that will surely be grazing ahead.
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 16 Aug. 2018
There are eight venues smattered across the small, green city: pre-war Art Nouveau buildings, relics of Soviet modernism, the train station at seaside resort town Jurmala.
—Laura Bannister, Vogue, 17 June 2018
Who’s listening At UCF’s rehearsal hall, the crowd of 50 or so is smattered throughout the seats watching the New Music Ensemble perform pieces written by students.
—Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, 27 Apr. 2018
Groping blindly, European and especially British explorers began trying to map this seascape beginning in the late 1500s – leading to a series of small advances, smattered with setbacks and tragedies, over centuries.
—Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2017
Noun
As part of the show, the Design Museum invited artists to create new clock faces; there is also a smatter of Chicago clock history, and recently included, remarkably, the original wooden hands from the Wrigley Building’s clock face, located by Samuelson on eBay.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 6 Oct. 2022
Outside a car wash where two people died, a smatter of small bloodstains can still be seen on the white exterior wall.
—Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2019
The apartment is immaculate—done up in charcoal and silver, with gilded accents and a tasteful smatter of lucite.
—Mattie Kahn, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2018
Verb
Another version is dotted with oily little pepperoni cups and smattered with hot honey: simple and satisfying.
—Kara Baskin, BostonGlobe.com, 4 May 2023
Glover’s patchwork ethos is smattered across its seven installments.
—WIRED, 17 Mar. 2023
Lee is also now taking a smattering reps at first base as expected entering the spring.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 17 Mar. 2023
The movie is smattered with deep focus cinematography, led by the director of photography Jomo Fray.
—Omar Sanchez, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2020
During the class, remember to look out at the trees, to the sculptures smattered throughout, to the family of deer that will surely be grazing ahead.
—Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, 16 Aug. 2018
There are eight venues smattered across the small, green city: pre-war Art Nouveau buildings, relics of Soviet modernism, the train station at seaside resort town Jurmala.
—Laura Bannister, Vogue, 17 June 2018
Who’s listening At UCF’s rehearsal hall, the crowd of 50 or so is smattered throughout the seats watching the New Music Ensemble perform pieces written by students.
—Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, 27 Apr. 2018
Groping blindly, European and especially British explorers began trying to map this seascape beginning in the late 1500s – leading to a series of small advances, smattered with setbacks and tragedies, over centuries.
—Chris Mooney, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smatter
Noun
-
Disturbed is a regular fixture on a handful of Billboard charts these days.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Of course, Trump is eagerly taking credit for a handful of positive data points while blaming his predecessor for, or simply shrugging at, all the bad news.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The rain had tapered down overnight, just softly pattering on rooftops by Friday morning.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Feb. 2025
-
The rain kept pattering down, and the pygmies began to call each other in a long chirrup.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
This is a primary example of love winning–congratulations to the couple!—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
12 Mar. 2025
-
The couple had been granted temporary protection from deportation while their claims for asylum were being adjudicated.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In other words, to blather on about how unremarkable iPhone 16 is compared to the one immediately preceding it completely misses the forest for the trees.—
Steven Aquino,
Forbes,
3 Oct. 2024
-
But who needs to blather on when there is a brisk 90-minute set of lush ‘70s and ‘80s classics to administer?—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA TODAY,
27 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
But when the disheveled, withdrawn ex-friend shows up in the locker room gibbering about an evil spirit, Sam is mortified, impulsively knocking to the ground the grungy-looking Mason jar that Tamira has been carrying around.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2023
-
For a while, police interest bent toward a Phud who had been warned he might be eliminated from the program, who had seemed almost exultant about the fire and gibbered gleefully about the media spotlight.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2018
Verb
-
Louis Vuitton has launched the LV Biker MM, a new signature bag masterminded by artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière, and the chattering fashion classes are already angling to invest.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The best soccer player in the world stood near midfield on a pitch in Kansas City, occupying a stadium that didn’t yet exist by the time many felt comfortable calling him the best player in the world, and his teeth were literally chattering in the cold.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Bao Li, a playful boy who bleats in excitement, climbed dangerously high up a tree.—
Robin Wright,
The New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The living room was a swirl of kids and bleating screens.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
24 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
DeSantis hired a media team whose job was not to answer questions but to troll anyone who had the audacity to voice or print a criticism of the governor.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
The Mercury News,
5 Mar. 2025
-
People typically troll for them with stout rods and beefy reels, trying to cover as much water as possible.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smatter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smatter. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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