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splin·ter | \ ˈsplin-tər 
\
\Definition of splinter
(Entry 1 of 2)
splinter
verbsplintered; splintering\ ˈsplin-tə-riŋ , -triŋ \
, -triŋ \Definition of splinter (Entry 2 of 2)
2 : to split into fragments, parts, or factions
: to become splintered
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Other Words from splinter
Noun
splinter adjective
splintery \ ˈsplin-tə-rē , -trē \ adjective
, -trē \ adjective
Examples of splinter in a Sentence
Noun
I got a splinter in my finger.
There were splinters of glass everywhere. Verb
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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun El Diario reported that the attackers were drug traffickers with the Cártel del Noreste (the Northeast Cartel), a Zetas splinter group.
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CBS News, "American family attacked in Mexico just south of Texas; 13-year-old killed," 6 Jan. 2020 As cartel kingpins are killed, criminal organizations splinter, causing local conflicts.
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David Agren, azcentral, "After ambush in Mexico, family sees Trump's 'terrorist' designation for cartels as a reality," 27 Nov. 2019 Even if Sánchez succeeds in rallying support from the anti-austerity United We Can and its new splinter, More Country, a Socialist cabinet likely will need either the backing of small regional parties or for the right-wing opposition to abstain.
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Washington Post, "Spain repeats election as Catalan crisis boosts far right," 8 Nov. 2019 While some of the splinter groups were once polygamous, many no longer are.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Child survivors of Mexico ambush on Mormon family saved by courage and their mother," 6 Nov. 2019 At high altitudes, as VPL scientists reported in the journal Astrobiology last year, intense UV radiation splinters off the lightweight hydrogen atoms.
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Quanta Magazine, "Scientists Debate Signatures of Alien Life," 2 Feb. 2016 One of the earliest splinter groups was Ansaru, which emerged in 2012 after Boko Haram attacked Kano city killing about 185 civilians, most of them Muslims.
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Jideofor Adibe, Quartz Africa, "How Boko Haram went from a peaceful Islamic sect to one of the world’s deadliest terrorists in a decade," 14 Nov. 2019 While some of the splinter groups were once polygamous, many no longer are.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Child survivors of Mexico ambush on Mormon family saved by courage and their mother," 6 Nov. 2019 That attacks were thought by officials to be carried out by the Islamic State West African Province, a splinter group of about 3,000 fighters that has been endorsed by leaders of the Islamic State.
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Dionne Searcey, New York Times, "Boko Haram Is Back. With Better Drones.," 13 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Vanguard America splintered after the debacle in Virginia.
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ProPublica, "They Are Racist; Some of Them Have Guns. Inside the White Supremacist Group Hiding in Plain Sight.," 13 Nov. 2019 Mariemont's sincere act of sportsmanship and support splintered the common trope in athletics that rivals share a mutual disdain on and off the field.
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Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, "Mariemont football shows support to injured Finneytown QB: 'It was overwhelming.'," 22 Oct. 2019 Two years ago, the same pipeline, which spans some 2,600 miles from Canada to Nebraska before splintering off, burst in South Dakota.
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Nick Martin, The New Republic, "States Are More Worried About Pipeline Protesters Than Spills," 5 Nov. 2019 Television has been described in many ways over the past 15 years, ranging from the complimentary -- golden, peak, prestige, renaissance --to the worrisome -- splintered, fragmented, overwhelming.
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Tribune News Service, cleveland, "From ‘Stranger Things’ to “Castle Rock’: How horror took over television," 27 Oct. 2019 Season three finds the team splintering, as Jesse finds his way back to his childhood home, Angelville, to confront his voodoo queen gran'ma, Marie L'Angelle (Betty Buckley).
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Despite a solid finale, Preacher’s final season was mostly a godawful mess," 3 Oct. 2019 But that rationale has now splintered as China seeks to show the world that individual freedoms are not a condition for prosperity.
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Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Meanwhile in America: "They are playing with fire"," 1 Oct. 2019 Made of cheaper, injection-molded plastic and with only wispy insulation, their tops splintered, handles broke, and wheels fell off.
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Louis Mazzante //, Popular Mechanics, "How the Yeti Tundra Became the Coolest Cooler," 1 Sep. 2019 The expression of traditional American nationalism splintered and then shifted in new directions.
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Colin Dueck, National Review, "What Is Conservative American Nationalism?," 21 Oct. 2019
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for splinter
splinter
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of splinter
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a thin, sharp piece of something (such as wood, glass, etc.) that has broken off a larger piece
splinter
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of splinter (Entry 2 of 2)
: to break (something) into small pieces or splinters
: to divide or split a group of people into smaller groups
See the full definition for splinter in the English Language Learners Dictionary
splinter
nounsplin·ter | \ ˈsplin-tər \
\Kids Definition of splinter
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a thin piece split or torn off lengthwise : sliver
splinter
verbsplintered; splintering
Kids Definition of splinter (Entry 2 of 2)
: 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
splinter
nounsplin·ter | \ ˈsplint-ər \
\Medical Definition of splinter
: a thin piece (as of wood) split or broken off lengthwise especially : such a piece embedded in the skin used tweezers to remove a splinter
Other Words from splinter
splinter transitive verb splintered; splintering\ ˈsplint-ə-riŋ, ˈsplin-triŋ \
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The first known use of splinter was in the 14th century
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