splintered; splintering
ˈsplin-tə-riŋ 
-triŋ
2
: to split into fragments, parts, or factions
: to become splintered
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
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2025
Lee, a 40-year-old legislator, previously served as the PPP’s youngest party leader before being ousted by Yoon’s faction and subsequently founding his own splinter party.
—Jong Eun Lee, The Conversation, 29 May 2025
Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
The Context Trump's typically ironclad MAGA coalition has splintered since last week, when Israel launched a series of strikes that took out top Iranian military and intelligence leaders, nuclear sites and key nuclear scientists.
—Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for splinter
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Noun
Check out Brecher's website for a breakdown of the filters and other peripherals used to capture and edit the cosmic splinter portrait.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 5 June 2025
Lee, a 40-year-old legislator, previously served as the PPP’s youngest party leader before being ousted by Yoon’s faction and subsequently founding his own splinter party.
—Jong Eun Lee, The Conversation, 29 May 2025
Verb
The Iran military campaign threatens to splinter Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, which powered his return to the White House.
—Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
The Context Trump's typically ironclad MAGA coalition has splintered since last week, when Israel launched a series of strikes that took out top Iranian military and intelligence leaders, nuclear sites and key nuclear scientists.
—Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/splinter. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
splinter
1 of 2 noun
splin·ter
ˈsplint-ər
: a thin piece split or torn off lengthwise : sliver
splinter
adjective
splinter
2 of 2 verb
splintered; splintering
ˈsplint-ə-riŋ
ˈsplin-triŋ
: to divide or break into splinters
Medical Definition
splinter
noun
splin·ter
ˈsplint-ər
: 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
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