Definition of splinter
2
: a group or faction broken away from a parent body
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Examples of splinter in a Sentence
I got a splinter in my finger.
There were splinters of glass everywhere.
Recent Examples of splinter from the Web
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Prosecutors say the men formed a splinter group of the Kansas Security Force militia.
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Rajapaksa is now leading a splinter Freedom Party group Parliament.
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President Trump's legacy might well be a harsh lesson in how quickly race relations can tumble and splinter.
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The Saudis appear to be trying to sow divisions within the Taliban, the person familiar said, after meeting splinter groups that refuse to recognize the group’s new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada—who has cultivated ties with Iran.
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The Dapchi school kidnappings are thought to have been carried out by a Boko Haram splinter group aligned with the Islamic State group.
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The latest mass abduction is thought to have been carried out by a Boko Haram splinter group aligned with the Islamic State group that has criticized the the main Boko Haram group for targeting civilians.
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His main defender is Kenji Fujimori, who led a splinter group of lawmakers that defied his sister Keiko's leadership of the Popular Force party and blocked the first impeachment attempt.
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Many congressional races are fielding unwieldy numbers of candidates, which can drain resources and splinter voter support – or in some cases, lead to outright rifts.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'splinter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of splinter
Middle English, from Middle Dutch; akin to Middle Low German splinte splint
Definition of splinter
splintered;
splintering
play
\ˈsplin-tə-riŋ, -triŋ\
2
: to split into fragments, parts, or factions
: to become splintered
Examples of splinter in a Sentence
The board splintered under his weight.
The impact of the crash splintered the glass.
groups that have splintered off to form new political movements
a political party that has been splintered by disagreements
Recent Examples of splinter from the Web
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The union's worst nightmare was coming true - its members were splintering.
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The 21-19 vote splintered the two caucuses into which the chamber has organized.
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Its semi-sensical planes are spliced and splintered.
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Suddenly, a creaking sound from the splintering wood rent the air, and the big tower twisted toward the new passenger station.
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Dakich had a unique perspective on this team, parachuting in from Michigan without an intimate understanding of a program that had been splintering behind closed doors.
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Jackson’s friendship with Macaulay Culkin was notorious, but he... After German Elections, the End of an Era for the European Left The left has already splintered or self-destructed in Italy and France.
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As many freshman-year friendships do, our crew eventually splintered into factions.
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That group splintered and from those splinters emerged the Hazm Movement.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'splinter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of splinter
1582
SPLINTER Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of splinter for English Language Learners
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: a thin, sharp piece of something (such as wood, glass, etc.) that has broken off a larger piece
splinter
Definition of splinter for English Language Learners
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: to break (something) into small pieces or splinters
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: to divide or split a group of people into smaller groups
SPLINTER Defined for Kids
Definition of splinter for Students
splintered;
splintering
: to break into slivers
- Peter and Judy covered their ears as sounds of splintering wood and breaking china filled the house.
- —Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about splinter
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See words that rhyme with splinter Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for splinter Spanish Central: Translation of splinter Nglish: Translation of splinter for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of splinter for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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