splinter

noun splin·ter \ ˈsplin-tər \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: splinter in a Sentence

Definition of splinter

1 a : a thin piece split or broken off lengthwise : sliver

b : a small needlelike particle

2 : a group or faction broken away from a parent body

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splinter

adjective

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splintery

play \ˈsplin-tə-rē, -trē\ adjective

See splinter defined for English-language learners

See splinter defined for kids

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

The yellow rope proved terrible, that hideous polyester stuff that unties your knot almost when you're done tying it and rots into nasty splinters.

— seth kantner, Anchorage Daily News, "We’re failing in our relationship with nature – and with each other," 9 June 2018
Michelle Gilliam, Sanders’ 2016 New York state political director, says that one of the challenges the Sanders campaign did not anticipate during the presidential election was the legions of unofficial, outside splinter groups.

— terrell jermaine starr, The Root, "The Progressive Revolution Is Being Led by a Black Woman," 10 Apr. 2018
Otherwise, small disagreements will build up over time and splinter the relationship.

— NBC News, "How 'thoughtful communication' can improve your marriage, according to a divorce attorney," 9 May 2018
Authorities say small projectiles and wooden splinters were found throughout the cabinet.

— michael williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Casselberry man shoots at roommate after argument over cat hair, police say," 27 Apr. 2018
Others were more plausible like splinters from the cross.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "No, the Bone of Saint Clement Was Probably Not Just Found in London’s Trash," 4 May 2018
That group splintered and from those splinters emerged the Hazm Movement.

— National Geographic, "War in Syria: Stories of Survival and Hope," 31 Mar. 2018
In the 1980s his father founded a radical splinter of Solidarity.

— The Economist, "Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party is doing lasting damage," 21 Apr. 2018
At the front, Wyman's narrative suffers from a jumble of names of splinter skinhead groups and the 20-something young men who shear their hair as members of said groups.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Archive Dive / News / Race / Music The time Chicago skinheads beat up a Nazi," 19 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

splinter Synonyms

Synonyms

chip, flake, sliver, splint;

Near Antonyms

chunk, hunk, lump, slab;

flinders, shiver, smithereens;

shred, tatter;

clipping, paring, shave, shaving, snippet;

leaf, sheet, slice;

splinter

verb

Definition of splinter

splintered; splintering play \ˈsplin-tə-riŋ, -triŋ\

transitive verb

1 : to split or rend into long thin pieces : shiver

2 : to split into fragments, parts, or factions

intransitive verb

: to become splintered

See splinter defined for English-language learners

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

Then from mid-shin down, my bone splintered into small fractures.

— tj gibson, azcentral, "Broken to pieces," 11 June 2018
Pioneer being a multi-purpose venue also splintered its audience into people who considered it a neighborhood bar, a late-night music place, a destination restaurant and a brunch spot.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "Fountain Square restaurant Pioneer stops serving food," 6 June 2018
However, in several competitive Southern California districts in Republican hands, so many Democrats are running that party leaders fear the Democratic vote will end up badly splintered.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Cops are called when a senator tries to see kids taken from their immigrant parents," 4 June 2018
Similarly, the bill splintered Democrats into two camps when the Senate voted 67-31 to approve it in March.

— marcy gordon, BostonGlobe.com, "Congress moves to end key post-crisis bank rules," 22 May 2018
Jimmy Carter in 1976 was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry a majority of them, though Bill Clinton squeezed out plurality victories among them when third-party candidate Ross Perot splintered the vote in Clinton's 1992 and 1996 wins.

— ronald brownstein, CNN, "Is the GOP at risk of losing Catholics?," 1 May 2018
The woods, though pristine, seemed broken, fallen and splintered, like the site of mystical battles, thousand-year wars.

— david gilbert, The New Yorker, "Fungus," 4 June 2017
The car, splintered by gunfire, proved to be a speeding arsenal.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "May 23, 1934: Bonnie and Clyde shot dead," 23 May 2018
But that didn’t stop earth-shattering lightning from splintering through the air where little or no rain was falling.

— matthew cappucci, Washington Post, "Fire and rain: Here’s how a wildfire sparked a freak thunderstorm in Texas," 17 May 2018