scintilla

noun

sin-ˈti-lə 
Definition of scintilla
as in glimmer
a very small amount there is not a scintilla of evidence for your outrageous claims

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 scintilla One scintilla of fentanyl coming across any border is unacceptable on any level. — NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025 There is a scintilla of potential intrigue in this revelation, and there’s a version of this narrative that sets him up as a politically interesting threat to Isla & Co. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 Where that film salvaged a scintilla of monochrome romance from the dreariness of the gig economy, this one is every bit as determined to sap the joy out of making good money at someone else’s expense. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025 Just a scintilla of resignation that no-Butler makes a Celtics series look grim. — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for scintilla
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scintilla
  1. glimmer
  2. shred
  3. hint
  4. speck
  5. sprinkling
  6. splash
  7. bit
  8. little
Noun
  • So, with her back garden pantry set to soon look more potatoes-and-carrots than homegrown orange orchard, will the Duchess keep the all-Americana, Netflix-y glimmer and gloss?
    — Chandler Tregaskes, Vanity Fair, 22 Aug. 2026
  • That rapid growth has provided a glimmer of hope in Hollywood, where optimism has been in short supply.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of glimmer
Noun
  • The food is stellar, as is the service, but there isn’t a shred of pretence about any of it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The pork chop came with an unfamiliar vegetable, shreds of a green stalk.
    — Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • And given the lunar ice’s likely extreme age, Dell’Agnello says, tracing its history would offer hints about the origins of Earth’s water as well.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In overtime versus Penn State, Moore had a wide-open touchdown to Kenyon Sadiq on the corner route but quickly found the checkdown at the first hint of pressure.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hint
Noun
  • Calcium shows up as bright white specks on the coronary artery images.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Pulse a few times, until crumbs range in size from specks to peas.
    — Leah Eskin, Midwest Living, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • The majority of this year's hottest ZIP codes are located on the East Coast, with a sprinkling in the upper Midwest.
    — Greta Cross, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Think of it like a recipe, maybe adding flowers to a frosted cake or sprinkling powdered sugar atop a sponge cake; Stewart's rose gold hair injects a sprinkle of the same whimsy into the last few weeks of summertime.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sprinkling
Noun
  • Sprouse’s first collections in the mid-1980s made a major splash, melding graffiti prints, a playful ’60s aesthetic, and bright Day-Glo colors that won admirers such as Andy Warhol.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The bagels are the creations of Moreira, who grew up in Argentina but learned quickly how to make bagels that caused a splash.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • Each piece is a little bit of the earth itself, molded to a shape that fits easily in the hand, baked to achieve permanence and then stacked, one atop another, to form a wall that can enclose, shelter and delight us.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Then there’s Lew, who was eased into camp a little bit at a time, moving from a few reps to a few series to a day with the first team and now returning to start at center.
    — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • Miami is about a two-hour drive from Jupiter, where Haydon has four littles to keep her company — Donald III, 17; Tristan, 14; Spencer, 13; and Chloe, 12.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This version for the littles is praised for all the same reasons as the standard one.
    — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of little

Browse Nearby Words

scimitars
scintilla
scintillant
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Scintilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scintilla. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All