piece 1 of 2

1
2
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production presented a new interpretation of the piece by Mozart

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in portion
something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group believes his piece of the profits should be higher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piece

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word piece distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of piece are division, fragment, member, part, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When is division a more appropriate choice than piece?

While in some cases nearly identical to piece, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When can fragment be used instead of piece?

While the synonyms fragment and piece are close in meaning, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

Where would member be a reasonable alternative to piece?

In some situations, the words member and piece are roughly equivalent. However, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When might part be a better fit than piece?

The words part and piece can be used in similar contexts, but part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When would portion be a good substitute for piece?

Although the words portion and piece have much in common, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When could section be used to replace piece?

The meanings of section and piece largely overlap; however, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

In what contexts can segment take the place of piece?

The words segment and piece are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

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 piece
Noun
The public offers a piece of its mind Mic's Celeste Katz discloses that Trump's controversial voter fraud panel won't let the public speak at its first meeting on July 19 but did solicit emails. The Hive, 14 July 2017 Alan Jacobs, a professor at Baylor University, has written eloquently about that last piece. Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 14 July 2017
Verb
Free agency is in the distant past, the NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror and, barring any major swerves, many fans are piecing team depth charts together with irrational confidence while anxiously waiting for Wednesday’s schedule release. Dan Pompei, New York Times, 12 May 2025 The former Saturday Night Live writer eventually pieced the puzzle together. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • The ash contains tiny fragments that can damage lung tissue and cause respiratory illnesses, like silicosis.
    Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2025
  • Microplastics are polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) down to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer).
    Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • The songs are not so much compositions as elliptical confessions, murmured rather than declared.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 5 July 2025
  • Microbiome composition: Revealing microbial imbalances that may drive disease.
    Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • Growing up around firearms The source familiar with the investigation, however, said that authorities learned Roley grew up with a family that had firearms and felt comfortable handling them.
    Mike Levine, ABC News, 1 July 2025
  • There are concerns that the video may have flouted a number of laws, including the use of imitation firearms and exposing minors to harmful content.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • That involves both the Medicaid portion of the bill as well as the state and local tax deduction, which remain in flux.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
  • Different portions of the vehicle illuminate then deactivate while the car is charging to give a visual countdown as to when the car is full of electrons and ready for the journey that awaits.
    Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • According to Levitt, the jury selection process was built to root out those preexisting biases from making their way into the courtroom.
    Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 1 July 2025
  • Remember the endurance paradox: your dog may be a sprinter at the park, but human beings are built for long-distances.
    Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Of course, the piano does seem to be at least a little bit haunted by an ’80s pop star named Vision.
    Caroline Carlson June 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025
  • Joya had been allowed to pull the flouncy bit off her shoulders, like the singers in ABBA, but since my mother told me to keep covered, the top surrounded me sadly like a funereal wreath.
    Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Small-scale research provides a sense of how larger-scale processes work, which are much more difficult to measure.
    Sarah Boon June 25, Literary Hub, 25 June 2025
  • Our healing, life-changing work would not have been possible without the wisdom of our 60-plus-person Braintrust.
    Asha Bandele, Essence, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Guerin said the gun didn’t work because it was not loaded properly.
    Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
  • Bullet casings found at the scene also matched to a gun that Silentó possessed when he was taken into custody.
    Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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