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fragment

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fragment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fragment are division, member, part, piece, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When would division be a good substitute for fragment?

The meanings of division and fragment largely overlap; however, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When is it sensible to use member instead of fragment?

While the synonyms member and fragment are close in meaning, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

Where would part be a reasonable alternative to fragment?

The words part and fragment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When can piece be used instead of fragment?

In some situations, the words piece and fragment are roughly equivalent. However, piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When could portion be used to replace fragment?

Although the words portion and fragment have much in common, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When is section a more appropriate choice than fragment?

The synonyms section and fragment are sometimes interchangeable, but section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

When might segment be a better fit than fragment?

While in some cases nearly identical to fragment, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fragment
Verb
University of Strathclyde political scientist John Curtice said the results showed that politics in Britain, long dominated by the two big parties, has fragmented. Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025 So, while deals are still being done, the market landscape is fragmented, with varying pockets of strength and weakness depending on the attributes of individual properties. John Walkup, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
When pieced together, fragments of the beginning of a life give a picture of where one's place is in the world when there is a pattern of what brings joy. Cathrine Todd, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 Study co-author and archaeological scientist Katerina Douka explains that this technique can be used to sort through large numbers of fragments in a way that is impractical for other methods such as DNA sequencing. Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fragment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment
Verb
  • Globally, heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather are disrupting supply chains, inflating food prices, and undermining financial stability.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • These attacks don’t just disrupt operations but also expose deeply personal financial information that can fuel identity theft, fraud and long-term reputational damage.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Mazzoli created a lush score that was alternately sweeping or intimate, sensuous or mystical, yet with a distinctive sound that was her own weaving a thread through the piece.
    Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 19 July 2017
  • This is why the war stories of Tom Clancy are such convincing and moving pieces of fiction.
    Janine Barchas, Washington Post, 18 July 2017
Verb
  • In the years to come, a Russian encroachment onto the territory of a Baltic member of NATO, coupled with threats to use nuclear weapons if NATO resisted, could fracture the West.
    KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
  • Relations between cities and counties can certainly fracture.
    Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • Especially in a world where some of these celebrity products already exist on drugstore shelves for a fraction of the cost.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 15 June 2025
  • By offering more opportunities for residents to maximize efficiency and upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment, Maryland residents can access life-saving cooling each summer at a fraction of the cost.
    Josh Tulkin, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • Barriers are indeed being broken, and with an eye on the future, rejuvenation of the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia could be next for the Lariani.
    David Ferrini, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • The idea was that a group of military commandos would break quarantine and try to get to the place where the virus had originated, in order to find a cure.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • There’s familiarity, there’s evolution and there’s a little bit of something for all demographics of music too, not just country.
    Melinda Newman, Billboard, 18 June 2025
  • Forensic scientists showed the jury tiny red bits of plastic stuck in the fabric of O’Keefe’s sweatshirt, and pieces of Read’s taillight near where the body was found.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • In its most recent demonstration May 27, Starship spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball before achieving some of its most important objectives.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • Laura’s house is a messy, colorful disaster, reflecting a personality that was clearly once charmingly ditzy and has disintegrated into instability.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • But compared to Paul’s clash with Mike Perry and Nate Diaz, this scrap with Chavez Jr. doesn’t seem to be moving the needle as much.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Use food scraps to make broth, then compost the leftovers to make fertilizer.
    Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fragment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragment. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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