fragment 1 of 2

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
People without health insurance cannot access services, services in the county are fragmented, and low income creates additional barriers for residents, especially residents of color, the story found. Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025 By contrast, the Brazilian right is fragmented (at least four parties claim a conservative identity in the Brazilian Congress) and not particularly beholden to Bolsonaro. Omar G. Encarnación, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
Just as often as not, the clues come from fragments of the shooter’s life on the internet. Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025 The few companies that received medicinal licenses were left with fragments of the legal whiskey that remained, and the individuals allowed to distribute had plenty of new protocols to follow. Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fragment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment
Verb
  • Saltwater seeps into gardens, storms batter homes, and flooding disrupts daily life.
    Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The hurricane in August 2005 also seriously disrupted the production of oil and shut down refineries in the Gulf of America.
    Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • An English teacher took me aside and drew a rectangle on a piece of paper, placed a shooting arrow on each corner of the rectangle, plus one halfway along the horizontal top line, and a final arrow, in the same position, down below.
    Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • The Bruins added a big piece to their training camp roster on Monday with the insertion of star winger David Pastrnak.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Faced with such a stark divide, families can fracture, friendships may fade and communities sometimes close their doors.
    Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
  • There is even more incentive to bring him back after Ozzie Albies fractured his left hamate bone.
    Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Compare this with a largemouth bass, who lays tens of thousands of eggs, of which only a small fraction of one per cent become adults.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
  • Best of all, they’re designed to keep life simple at a fraction of the cost of a traditional home.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As the liquid erupted, the jinx-free silence that had lingered in the clubhouse was finally broken.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That play out in center field the other day kind of flared it up a little bit.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Our offense started to come alive a little bit.
    Frank Rajkowski, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 2014, the American team disintegrated under Tom Watson’s leadership at Gleneagles in Scotland.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
  • It’s been ripe for restoration since the 1970s and has sat, empty and disintegrating, for most of that time.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Use scrap fabric or old clothes to sew a handful of squares, and use them as coasters, or put them in a frame for easy wall art.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Blast furnaces are how a country makes new steel from iron ore instead of by melting scrap metal.
    Kenneth Rapoza, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fragment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragment. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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