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
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Recent Examples of shell
Cale Ahearn, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
With shells exploding across Khartoum, the capital, Ahmed and fellow students first mobilized to evacuate their university.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Time Photo Department, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
The shrimp should be shelled, deveined and preferably have the tails on.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shell 
Noun
Authorities recovered a gun, a magazine containing 40 caliber rounds, a bucket of 40 caliber ammunition, and two 40 caliber shell casings.
—Cale Ahearn, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
With shells exploding across Khartoum, the capital, Ahmed and fellow students first mobilized to evacuate their university.
—Karl Vick, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
The result shows a burning fire to the right and the trails of light from shelling directed at southern Lebanon.
—Time Photo Department, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
The shrimp should be shelled, deveined and preferably have the tails on.
—Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for shell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell
Noun
-
The black, silky sheath can easily stand on its own with minimal accessorizing or can be dressed up with some sparkly jewelry.—
Rachel Sylvester,
Glamour,
6 Jan. 2025
-
One was made by sliding a ring cut from a plastic bottle around an RPG warhead, filling this makeshift collar with quarter-inch stainless-steel ball bearings and sealing them against the warhead’s sheath with an electric heat gun.—
C.J. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak,
New York Times,
31 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Amid post-pandemic labor shifts, global uncertainties, and rapid technological advancements, organizations are pivoting toward more flexible work structures.—
Philip Rogiers
David G. Collings,
Harvard Business Review,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Meryl Streep was one of a handful of area residents whose experiences with the fires — which have claimed 29 lives and destroyed more than 15,000 structures — were told in the New York story.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Lee’s role as the female lead’s bodyguard catapulted him to national heartthrob status; his popularity was so great that fans would regularly leave messages all over the exterior of his apartment, and traffic would be stalled across four lanes ahead of one of his fan meetings.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
The exterior of the hospital was filmed at Faith Community Hospital in Jacksboro, Texas.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The easy-to-apply wallpaper is safe to use, nice quality, and doesn’t peel or tear when applying, per reviewers.—
Kelsey Fredricks,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2025
-
For many of us stateside Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a moment to breathe and at times peel back a layer and rest.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
For example, the Israeli military bombed the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius—Gaza's oldest church, consecrated in 1150—in October 2023.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
14 Jan. 2025
-
Meaning Israel is even allowed to bomb Iran directly, something that American Presidents have consistently refused to green-light.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Officers who responded to the scene did not find any shell casings.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Authorities recovered a gun, a magazine containing 40 caliber rounds, a bucket of 40 caliber ammunition, and two 40 caliber shell casings.—
Cale Ahearn,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Then Trump established a framework for his administration.—
Matthew Continetti,
National Review,
25 Jan. 2025
-
This language provides a sufficient framework for protecting the interests in this case.—
Liz Tracey,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
His most recent series—and his most complex yet to produce—nods to stained glass, inserting melted pieces into bronze or aluminum frameworks to create surfaces, mirrors, and more.—
Hannah Martin,
Architectural Digest,
22 Jan. 2025
-
On the mosaic’s surface, experts discovered natural wax and gypsum, which were probably left over from previous conservation efforts.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near shell
Cite this Entry
“Shell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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