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
Other denim pieces included straight-leg jeans with a center crease and a shrunken jean jacket. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 29 Sep. 2025 Since its founding, Public Assembly has produced more than 40 shows and premiered more than 150 original pieces of theater. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
Lamothe is one of many trying to piece back their lives after the devastating Airport fire, especially in the El Cariso Village neighborhood, where most lost their homes. Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025 Tomlin is no stranger to having to piece things together due to injuries, and Elliott coming on board is a big insurance policy. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • Two days later, Zeek was home with his family again, fragments of the bullet still lodged in his shoulder between a block of nerves and main blood vessel.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
  • One of Sappho’s poem fragments also helped align the symptoms with love-sickness.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In Apple’s testing, models via Private Cloud Compute perform better on things like writing summaries and composition compared to on-device models.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Tattoo artist Kelly Violet painted a haunting floral, while Cosmodernism did a composition inspired by microscopic chemical patterns.
    Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Prosecutors alleged several special circumstances in the case, including premeditation, commission of multiple murders, murder with a firearm and murder to prevent testimony.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
  • That will allow the lab to add firearms and toolmark identification as well as print analysis to their services.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With high traffic roadways running over many portions of the creek, having ample eyes on the area is a beneficial first step.
    Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • On the reading portion of the exam, nearly a quarter of MPS students met or exceeded grade-level benchmarks in reading, while about 73% scored below expectations.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Elanco's move jumpstarts the OneHealth Innovation District, a partnership with Purdue to build an advanced science hub.
    Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Switzerland, like Germany, built its 20th-century industrial economy on training and valuing all types of workers—those that work with their hands and those that work at a desk.
    Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That play out in center field the other day kind of flared it up a little bit.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Our offense started to come alive a little bit.
    Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But according to government guidance, personnel must return home as soon as possible if a shutdown occurs while on work travel.
    Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • His work with rural counties has earned favorable notices, but in urban areas like Phoenix, many of the experts in Joan's reporting raised questions about Livar's effectiveness.
    Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • He was charged with a gun crime in connection with an anti-KKK riot in Durham, North Carolina.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • According to the complaint, Cullen matched the description of the person firing the gun, and he was taken into custody.
    Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 1 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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