as in disrupting
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
you can fragment that peanut brittle easily, but how it breaks is basically up to the brittle
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Recent Examples of fragmenting
The plans, released in November, showed roadways encroaching on landmarks and fragmenting neighborhoods in historically Black parts of the city.
—
Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Research indicates that districts with three to eight members are ideal to provide more accurate representation without overly fragmenting the party system.
—Jennifer Lynn McCoy, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
Alliances feel shakier, trade is fragmenting, and great powers are jostling more openly.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Called the Crack Indication Tool, or CIT, it was meant to model how and when the Avcoat material might begin fragmenting in various conditions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
States that are already watering down or even eliminating vaccine requirements may align with the administration’s decision to neglect and hide the data, contributing to a growing gap between states on vaccine policy, further fragmenting and politicizing decisions that should be based on science.
—Jill Rosenthal, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026
The network’s arrival on YouTube TV is being framed by supporters as a victory for civic transparency at a time when access to government proceedings is fragmenting across platforms.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
These fans buy, watch, travel and advocate more, and do it in a landscape where media rights are fragmenting and attention scarce.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Achieving multiplatinum certification in America after selling over 8 million copies and spending seventeen non-consecutive weeks at #1, Synchronicity left Sting with few creative or financial reasons to remain in the fragmenting band.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
Research indicates that districts with three to eight members are ideal to provide more accurate representation without overly fragmenting the party system.
—Jennifer Lynn McCoy, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
Alliances feel shakier, trade is fragmenting, and great powers are jostling more openly.
—Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
Called the Crack Indication Tool, or CIT, it was meant to model how and when the Avcoat material might begin fragmenting in various conditions.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
States that are already watering down or even eliminating vaccine requirements may align with the administration’s decision to neglect and hide the data, contributing to a growing gap between states on vaccine policy, further fragmenting and politicizing decisions that should be based on science.
—Jill Rosenthal, STAT, 14 Jan. 2026
The network’s arrival on YouTube TV is being framed by supporters as a victory for civic transparency at a time when access to government proceedings is fragmenting across platforms.
—Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 8 Dec. 2025
These fans buy, watch, travel and advocate more, and do it in a landscape where media rights are fragmenting and attention scarce.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 4 Dec. 2025
Achieving multiplatinum certification in America after selling over 8 million copies and spending seventeen non-consecutive weeks at #1, Synchronicity left Sting with few creative or financial reasons to remain in the fragmenting band.
—Mike Alleyne, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragmenting
Verb
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The beams would be far brighter than the full moon and, even if carefully pointed, would scatter in the atmosphere to be very bright off-beam, disrupting wildlife and effectively destroying the sky’s remaining natural beauty by erasing the stars from our sight.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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Then, last summer, LA became the first major US city to face large-scale ICE raids, stoking fear among undocumented immigrants and disrupting the restaurant workforce.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That one second of low-visibility ended with Schultz hitting the ground hard and fracturing his knee.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
3 Mar. 2026
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British politics today is steadily fracturing into multiple parties, no longer two or even three.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The conflict was sparked by Hezbollah targeting Israel after the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, breaking a 2024 ceasefire that in any case had largely failed.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Adebayo’s 43-point first half set a new franchise record for the most points by a Heat player in any half, breaking the previous team record of 37 points set by James in a second half on March 3, 2014.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By 2019, Virginia photographer John Plashal caught wind of what was disintegrating on Hankins' out-of-the-way acres.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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Around the world, states were disintegrating, climate systems were approaching tipping points, economies were stagnating, and inequality was rising.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fragmenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragmenting. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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