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
Even with the 26-year-old’s potential, Phillips’ injury history was probably too tough to overlook while trying to identify in-house pieces who can be part of the Dolphins’ long-term solution. Jeff Howe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 Nike, Asics and Under Armour had one winner a piece, the former in Chicago and the latter two in Boston. Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
Scammers piece these details together to build convincing attacks. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Certainty is elusive because the organics collected by CDA were shattered into multiple tiny fragments; researchers are still figuring out how to piece these fragments back together. Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • Additional circumstantial evidence included the presence of Halbach's license plate, which was found in another vehicle on Avery’s property, a bullet fragment that was found in his garage with her DNA and Halbach's remains, which were located in and around a burn pit.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The two showers are grouped together because scientists believe that both the asteroid and the comet are fragments of a single, much larger object that broke up some 20,000 years ago, leaving a collection of debris known collectively as the Encke Complex.
    Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While Mars has terrain that’s varied in terms of composition, elevation, and dustiness versus compactness, one vastly underappreciated aspect is how different the Martian soil composition is from Earth’s.
    Big Think, Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
  • And while turnout was high in the states for an off-year election, no assumption about turnout and the composition of the electorate is safe, as Republicans learned Tuesday night.
    Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Biniazan emphasized Parker was aware of the possibility of a firearm on campus for about an hour and questioned whether her actions in that time were adequate.
    Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Ali and Mahmoud were both legally able to purchase firearms, and investigators allegedly uncovered numerous purchases of guns and modifications through bank records and his browsing history, according to the complaint.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a large portion of Iran's ballistic missile arsenal was destroyed during the first hours of the aerial attacks.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • After battling two years of slowly deteriorating vision, Charton was able to claw back a small portion of her lost world.
    Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • In August, The Guardian said the Israeli Defense Forces' Unit 8200 had built a system in Microsoft's Azure cloud for tracking Palestinians' phone calls as part of the country's invasion of Gaza, leading Microsoft to investigate the newspaper's assertions.
    Jordan Novet, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
  • To build workplaces that are not just more efficient, but more human.
    Kelly Jones, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Another Halloween fanatic, Janelle Monáe fully committed to the bit by dressing as the Cat in the Hat for her Jennifer Hudson Spirit Tunnel walk.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Use a mulching mower to chop the leaves into tiny bits that can be left on the lawn to nourish the soil.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the organization needs resources to sustain its essential work and to achieve its laudable goal of ending elder hunger in the city in the next 15 years.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Many people took the day off from work and brought their children to take part in the festivities.
    Steve Futterman, NPR, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Marty works his connections to learn that Frank won’t be charged for Arthur’s murder — the official verdict is that accidents happen when confused old men own guns.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

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