as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part
the historical record of this pharaoh's life and reign is fragmentary at best
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Recent Examples of fragmentary
But while scientists have since identified other fragmentary remains, it’s never been enough to fully put a face to the name—despite the fact that Denisovans passed on some of their genes to modern day Melanesian people.
—
Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2025
Told in a fragmentary narrative filled with digression (and interjections from the author), Khoury’s novel tackles themes of identity and oppression that are incredibly relevant today.
—Nate Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
While her book is at times fragmentary and episodic, marked by abrupt discontinuities, the cumulative effect is powerful, eloquently testifying to the horrific consequences of this conflict.
—Rebecca Donner, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Phylogenetic analyses yield conflicting results: some position it near the base of squamates, others as a distant relative separate from both major lizard clades and snakes, highlighting the limits of fragmentary amber fossils.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fragmentary
Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 June 2025
Told in a fragmentary narrative filled with digression (and interjections from the author), Khoury’s novel tackles themes of identity and oppression that are incredibly relevant today.
—Nate Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
While her book is at times fragmentary and episodic, marked by abrupt discontinuities, the cumulative effect is powerful, eloquently testifying to the horrific consequences of this conflict.
—Rebecca Donner, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Phylogenetic analyses yield conflicting results: some position it near the base of squamates, others as a distant relative separate from both major lizard clades and snakes, highlighting the limits of fragmentary amber fossils.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fragmentary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragmentary
incomplete
Adjective
-
The construction for the project went slower than anticipated, and was incomplete in anticipation of flooding season, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
19 Aug. 2025
-
These systems often contain unmonitored, outdated and incomplete data, creating blind spots and risk.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fragmentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragmentary. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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