splinter

noun

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splin·ter | \ ˈsplin-tər

Definition of splinter

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

splinter

verb

splintered; splintering\ ˈsplin-tə-riŋ

, -triŋ \

Definition of splinter (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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Synonyms for splinter

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

slice,
sliver

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun And for an abuela who’s never suffered a single splinter for her art, a loving touch. — René A. Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, "Amazing Popsicle stick toys made by San Antonio grandmother, from Titanic, Big Ben to carousel, doll house," 27 Apr. 2021 In Japan, two QAnon splinter groups have emerged: J-Anon and QArmyJapanFlynn, which takes its name from Trump's former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn. — Emiko Jozuka, Selina Wang And Junko Ogura, CNN, "Japan's QAnon disciples aren't letting Trump's loss quash their mission," 23 Apr. 2021 Its military forces have been key to both the war in the Sahel, a vast stretch of territory to the south of the Sahara, and the fight against Boko Haram and its splinter groups in the Lake Chad region. — New York Times, "President of Chad Is Killed as Soldiers Clash With Rebels," 20 Apr. 2021 According to the 2020 NDTA, GU is a splinter group from the BLO and has a working relationship with the CJNG, using the same transport networks to smuggle drugs, which has increasingly become heroin, to the US. — Cnn Editorial Research, CNN, "Mexico Drug War Fast Facts," 12 Apr. 2021 During the Apollo Missions, Apollo 11 also carried a piece of the muslin, and a splinter of wood from the Wright Flyer, reports Live Science. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, "Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Holds Piece of Wright Brothers History," 1 Apr. 2021 In 1969, the Wright family gave Neil Armstrong a piece of the 1903 flyer fabric and a small splinter of wood to take with him to the Moon. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Part of The Wright Brothers’ First Airplane is Aboard NASA’s History-Making Mars Chopper," 25 Mar. 2021 But a passel of Trump aides and allies have created new political committees this year, which have the potential to further splinter donations made in his name. — Anchorage Daily News, "Trump helped the GOP raise $2 billion. Now former aides and allies are jockeying to tap into his fundraising power.," 28 Mar. 2021 The data highlights the stunning growth of new splinter movements that did not exist when President Donald Trump took office. — Time, "2020 Saw an Unprecedented Surge in White Supremacist Propaganda," 17 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb In 2019, Blue and White came close to replacing Netanyahu’s Likud as Israel’s ruling party, but later joined Netanyahu’s coalition in order to help fight the pandemic, which led the party to splinter. — Ron Kampeas, sun-sentinel.com, "Israel’s first Black Cabinet member knows the aliyah struggle," 23 Mar. 2021 Duke’s experience, including the requirement for players to be quarantined for at least seven days, again showed just how fast a roster can splinter. — New York Times, "Duke’s Exit From A.C.C. Tournament Is a Reminder of the Pandemic’s Threat," 11 Mar. 2021 Finding a durable chew toy that won't splinter and isn't a choking hazard has been quite the task. — Jorie Nicole Mcdonald, Southern Living, "This All-Natural, Amazon Chew Toy Keeps My Dog Entertained for Hours on End," 26 Feb. 2021 As the rift over Trump continues to splinter the GOP, the party is set to be tested early in special elections this year, particularly in Texas. — Rick Klein, ABC News, "Cuomo and Newsom challenge Democrats on terms they set themselves: The Note," 1 Mar. 2021 The White House and left-wing Democrats are likely heading for blows after President Biden appeared to close the door on several of their top demands, threatening to splinter the party. — Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, "Biden disappoints liberals on minimum wage hike and student loan forgiveness," 18 Feb. 2021 Sometimes the aliases splinter off to form side projects. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "The Obsessive Beat-Making of Madlib," 18 Jan. 2021 Several lawmakers surprised their party leaders and voted against the deadline extension, illustrating how factions have begun to splinter in recent weeks and making the outcome of elections difficult to predict. — Washington Post, "Israeli government on the verge of collapse after lawmakers fail to reach budget compromise," 22 Dec. 2020 But the enduring anonymity of testing labs has begun to splinter some spirits. — New York Times, "‘Nobody Sees Us’: Testing-Lab Workers Strain Under Demand," 3 Dec. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

3 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splinter. Accessed 14 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for splinter

splinter

noun

English 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

verb

English 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

noun

splin·ter | \ ˈsplin-tər

Kids Definition of splinter

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a thin piece split or torn off lengthwise : sliver

splinter

verb

splintered; 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

noun

splin·ter | \ ˈsplint-ər