The shrapnel from an explosion is usually more dangerous than the shock wave.
Source: tatoeba (1461921)
Shrapnel
/ˈʃɹæpnəl/
Synonyms for "shrapnel" (29 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (6)
Strong matches (9)
Related words (14)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ball, bar shot, bird shot, buckshot, bullet.
- Sentence evidence is available for shrapnel, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "shrapnel".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "shrapnel"
Keep "shrapnel" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "shrapnel" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "shrapnel", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "shrapnel" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Translations
64 translations across 47 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- skrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Albanian
1 entries- shrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Arabic
1 entries- شَظَايَا noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Armenian
2 entries- կոտորակառումբ noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- շրապնել noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- şrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Belarusian
1 entries- шрапнэ́ль noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Bulgarian
1 entries- шрапне́л noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 子母彈 /子母弹 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- 彈片 /弹片 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- 榴霰彈 /榴霰弹 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- 霰彈 /霰弹 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Czech
1 entries- šrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Dutch
1 entries- granaatscherven noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Estonian
1 entries- šrapnell noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Finnish
1 entries- sirpaleet noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
French
1 entries- shrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Galician
1 entries- metralla noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Georgian
1 entries- შრაპნელი noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
German
2 entries- Granatsplitter noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- Schrapnell noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Greek
2 entries- θραύσμα noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- μύδρος noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Hungarian
1 entries- repesz noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Iranian Persian
2 entries- تَرْکَش noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- تَرْکِش noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Italian
3 entries- proiettili noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- schegge noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- scheggia di bomba noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Japanese
2 entries- 榴散弾 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- 榴霰弾 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Kazakh
1 entries- шрапнель noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Korean
2 entries- 류산탄 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- 유산탄 noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- шрапнель noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Latvian
1 entries- šrapnelis noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Lithuanian
1 entries- šrapnelis noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Macedonian
1 entries- шрапнел noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Malay
2 entries- serpihan bom noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- serpihan peluru noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Māori
1 entries- matā korara noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Polish
1 entries- szrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Portuguese
1 entries- estilhaço noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Romanian
1 entries- șrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Russian
1 entries- шрапне́ль noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- šràpnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- шра̀пнел noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Slovak
1 entries- šrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Slovene
1 entries- šrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Spanish
3 entries- esquirlas noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- metralla noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- shrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Swedish
1 entries- splitter noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Tajik
1 entries- шрапнел noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Thai
2 entries- สะเก็ด noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- สะเก็ดระเบิด noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Turkish
1 entries- şarapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Turkmen
1 entries- şrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Ukrainian
1 entries- шрапне́ль noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Uyghur
1 entries- شراپنېل noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Uzbek
1 entries- shrapnel noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Vietnamese
2 entries- trái phá noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
- đạn trái phá noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Volapük
1 entries- jräpnäl noun (fragments and debris thrown out by an exploding device)
Sample sentences
9 total sentences available.
My grandfather has a piece of shrapnel in his chest.
Source: tatoeba (2427777)
I still have a piece of shrapnel in my chest.
Source: tatoeba (6629713)
Shrapnel from the grenade was found in his head.
Source: tatoeba (7829164)
Showing 4 of 9 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "shrapnel"?
Closest matches include ball, bar shot, bird shot, buckshot, bullet.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "shrapnel"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.