shrapnel
noun
shrap·nel
ˈshrap-nᵊl 
especially Southern ˈsrap-
plural shrapnel
1
: a projectile that consists of a case provided with a powder charge and a large number of usually lead balls and that is exploded in flight
2
: bomb, mine, or shell fragments
Examples of shrapnel in a Sentence
He has a piece of shrapnel in his leg.
Shrapnel from the explosion wounded many people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mendez said the other five victims were injured by gunshots or shrapnel.
—
Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025
Weeder went through weeks of medical care to remove shrapnel from her body.
—Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
He was injured on the ninth day of the Battle of Okinawa with shrapnel in his leg and was shipped to a hospital.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
There have been so many instances of shrapnel flying onto school property.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrapnel
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Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025
Weeder went through weeks of medical care to remove shrapnel from her body.
—Sophia Tareen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
He was injured on the ninth day of the Battle of Okinawa with shrapnel in his leg and was shipped to a hospital.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 Mar. 2025
There have been so many instances of shrapnel flying onto school property.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrapnel
Cite this Entry
“Shrapnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrapnel. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shrapnel
noun
shrap·nel
ˈshrap-nᵊl
plural shrapnel
1
: a shell designed to burst and scatter metal balls with which it is filled along with jagged fragments of the case
2
: metal pieces from an exploded bomb, shell, or mine
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