as in pieces
a broken or irregular part of something that often remains incomplete
charred fragments of the exploded rocket were scattered over a huge area of ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in disrupts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fragments
ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
Courtesy of Rizzotti Advisors The Egadi Islands, off the western coast of Sicily, feel almost untouched, as if the Mediterranean broke off a few fragments and left them in place.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
In the early nineteenth century, after Egyptian peasants happened upon ancient fragments, archaeologists began to look in such places for pieces of manuscript, which could vary in size from a few letters to a slice of text.
—Madeleine Schwartz, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
For years, researchers suspected that a similar predator was responsible for the fossil fragments, but lacked a convincing candidate.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026
One possibility, the researchers say, is that it was destroyed in one of the violent collisions that routinely reshaped the young solar system, with fragments like NWA 12774 later incorporated into other rocky planets, including Earth.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 June 2026
Ukrainian officials have also said missile fragments from a May strike contained Belarusian microchips.
—Tatsiana Kulakevich, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Unlike the Caribbean, where sand consists of crushed quartz, beaches in this part of northern Norway are made up of fragments of dead shells and calcareous algae that have accumulated over thousands of years.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Also unearthed were fragments of wall statues and terracotta molds, believed to have been used in coin crafting during the Roman period.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
That fragments talent, confuses stakeholders and delays measurable outcomes.
—Ashwin Gaidhani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Each event drops oxygen levels and fragments sleep, leaving people exhausted, foggy and at higher long-term risk for cardiovascular disease.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Democrats, meanwhile, contend the map deliberately fragments minority communities — particularly in regions like Tampa Bay and South Florida — in ways that advantage Republicans.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Some fragments feature drawings or geometric designs rather than text.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Zillow has argued that the approach fragments listing information and reduces transparency for buyers.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
If one side fragments badly enough, surprises can happen.
—James Ward, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
Sarhan and his colleagues cultured live yeast from the samples, but their shotgun metagenomics results also revealed a bunch of short fragments of DNA, most bearing the kind of damage that happens when DNA molecules break down over time.
—ArsTechnica, 6 June 2026
Courtesy of Rizzotti Advisors The Egadi Islands, off the western coast of Sicily, feel almost untouched, as if the Mediterranean broke off a few fragments and left them in place.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
In the early nineteenth century, after Egyptian peasants happened upon ancient fragments, archaeologists began to look in such places for pieces of manuscript, which could vary in size from a few letters to a slice of text.
—Madeleine Schwartz, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026
For years, researchers suspected that a similar predator was responsible for the fossil fragments, but lacked a convincing candidate.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026
One possibility, the researchers say, is that it was destroyed in one of the violent collisions that routinely reshaped the young solar system, with fragments like NWA 12774 later incorporated into other rocky planets, including Earth.
—Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 June 2026
Ukrainian officials have also said missile fragments from a May strike contained Belarusian microchips.
—Tatsiana Kulakevich, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Unlike the Caribbean, where sand consists of crushed quartz, beaches in this part of northern Norway are made up of fragments of dead shells and calcareous algae that have accumulated over thousands of years.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2026
Also unearthed were fragments of wall statues and terracotta molds, believed to have been used in coin crafting during the Roman period.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Verb
There’s no actual metal on Pareidolia, just fragments that Muir has excavated from metal’s marginalia and spun into what resembles a kaleidoscope filled with black beads.
—Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026
That fragments talent, confuses stakeholders and delays measurable outcomes.
—Ashwin Gaidhani, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Each event drops oxygen levels and fragments sleep, leaving people exhausted, foggy and at higher long-term risk for cardiovascular disease.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Democrats, meanwhile, contend the map deliberately fragments minority communities — particularly in regions like Tampa Bay and South Florida — in ways that advantage Republicans.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Some fragments feature drawings or geometric designs rather than text.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
Zillow has argued that the approach fragments listing information and reduces transparency for buyers.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026
As internal pressure builds, the casing ruptures and scatters fragments outward at high speed, causing widespread injury to those nearby.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
If one side fragments badly enough, surprises can happen.
—James Ward, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragments
Noun
-
The puzzle-like slats holding the barrel together, called staves, are often used in his creations, incorporated into cocktail muddlers and cigar rests, not to mention a recent life-size buffalo made from the spent barrel pieces.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
If someone with less skill was attempting a similar thing, the pieces might feel like costumes.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Cypermethrin disrupts thyroid hormones, which are critical to brain development.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Eating quickly disrupts this process, leaving more carbohydrates to be broken down in the stomach and gut, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Now, though, scientists have discovered bits of tissue removed from a species of sea cucumber called Psolus fabricii can keep on living indefinitely if they’re left in ordinary seawater.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
-
Just non-stop dribbles, counter-attacks, through balls, amazing finishes… all of football’s good bits.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
And Mary’s electric, palpably physical pursuit of justice becomes even more crucial in the final act, after a grotesque display of performative mockery toward Māori culture fractures the last remnants of civility present amid one of Cole’s lavish-yet-repulsive gatherings.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
-
What fractures globalized production naturally results in higher prices just as what integrates global production naturally results in lower prices.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
An agentic workflow that completes successfully might make six redundant API calls to get there, each costing fractions of a cent that compound to thousands of dollars at scale.—
Satyabrat Chowdhury,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Moreover, these particles had lifespans lasting only fractions of a second and a price tag in the hundreds of millions of dollars.—
Kai James,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
In the end, McGinniss’s new team breaks his heart, as all your rooting interests in sports eventually will.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Franklin breaks score open with three runs in fourth.—
Darren Sabedra,
Mercury News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
If someone was caught, and murdered, scraps of their body were circulated as souvenirs and passed down through generations of white families as heirlooms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
Compost is decomposed organic matter, created when microorganisms break down plant materials, food scraps, leaves, manure, and other organic inputs.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
None are quite about the conflicting frames of reference and value that arise when an ancient cultural formation disintegrates and a successor has yet to take its place.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
The skin stretches out and disintegrates, posing a risk of limb amputation.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fragments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragments. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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