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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India’s northeast, where most people have ethnic ties closer to China or Myanmar than to the rest of the India, is home to dozens of militant separatist groups, ranging from heavily armed militias to tiny splinters movements.
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This time, as the speeches of local authorities proclaim unity and harmony, the editing splinters the action into a series of discrete, disjunctive shots.
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On one court, a wooden bench is broken in half with splinters exposed.
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That’s when a group of Masons realized their society just wasn’t enough fun and formed a splinter group dedicated to laughter and good works.
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More than 1,600 members of cult splinter groups still practice Asahara’s teachings across the country, Japanese public security officials say.
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The first killing in 1981 targeted a former sect member who challenged Yahweh Ben Yahweh’s teachings and left to form a splinter group with others.
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Prosecutors described the Islamic Jihad Union as an extremist splinter group that opposes the Uzbek government and has been blamed for attacks there and in Afghanistan.
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He’d been raised in a household guided by scripture, had spent his childhood Sundays in the austere New Testament Church, a renegade splinter of the island’s Methodist majority.
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 yearDefinition 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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Traditional drug cartels have splintered into increasingly violent rival factions that extort, kidnap, steal gas and rob trains, in addition to selling drugs.
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Traditional drug cartels have splintered into increasingly violent rival factions that extort, kidnap, steal gas, and rob trains, in addition to selling drugs.
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As the ongoing humanitarian crisis demands attention, the reactions by America's ruling party has splintered in the face of growing outrage.
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Several Warriors referenced the significance of the timeout, with Curry going so far as to suggest the team could have splintered.
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In the nine years since Bitcoin was invented, blockchain technology and the communities working on it have splintered in competition.
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But the Republican consensus splintered over separating children from parents who illegally enter the U.S. — with about a third opposed to the policy.
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Unlike in many other Muslim nations, Indonesia’s Islamic parties and movements are splintered—and are represented both in the president’s and Mr. Prabowo’s camps.
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But in today’s splintered and strange media environment, the more difficult question to answer is how so many people did end up seeing these images and hearing these stories.
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
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