part 1 of 3

part

2 of 3

adverb

part

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to separate
to go or move in different directions from a central point after traveling together for three weeks, we parted at Rome

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

Synonym Chooser

How is the word part distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of part are division, fragment, member, piece, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

In what contexts can division take the place of part?

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

the manufacturing division of the company

When might fragment be a better fit than part?

The words fragment and part are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When could member be used to replace part?

While in some cases nearly identical to part, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When would piece be a good substitute for part?

Although the words piece and part have much in common, piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

Where would portion be a reasonable alternative to part?

The synonyms portion and part are sometimes interchangeable, but portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When is section a more appropriate choice than part?

While the synonyms section and part are close in meaning, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

When is it sensible to use segment instead of part?

In some situations, the words segment and part are roughly equivalent. However, 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 part
Noun
On Friday, hundreds of workers at the agency, many of whom have been furloughed since the federal government shut down on October 1, found out they were being fired as part of widespread layoffs across federal agencies. Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2025 OpenAI also will be designing its own gear as part of its work on custom hardware, the startup said. Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
The enclosed chamber offers very good heat regulation with an extruder fan, a part-cooling fan, an auxiliary part-cooling fan, and a fan to regulate the chamber. PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2025 François Girard’s take — part mysterious, part mystifying — on Wagner’s last opera is one of the Met’s most interesting productions of the last decade or so, and returns for the first time since its premiere in 2013. David Allen, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2018
Verb
His teammates gave him parting gifts – two-run home runs from Hyeseong Kim and Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani’s 55th homer of the season – and sent Kershaw out a winner for the 223rd time as the Dodgers finished their regular-season schedule with a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025 According to police, scammers are targeting older Bay Staters with a range of schemes aimed at parting them with their savings, from old-fashioned home improvement fraud to newer scams centered around cryptocurrency. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for part
Recent Examples of Synonyms for part
Noun
  • The hospital helps fund a portion of beds at the John Parvensky Stout Street Recuperative Care Center to provide patients who are too ill or frail to recover in shelters or on the streets with a safe place and the right support to heal.
    Sarah Stella, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The pair last year announced a partnership wherein Verizon would invest $100 million in the satellite firm and give it access to a portion of its radio spectrum to enable satellite-to-phone services.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Nvidia shares rose about 2% on Wednesday, helping to boost the Nasdaq Composite higher.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Randy, Larry, David, and Floyd have all passed away, and the rest of the Parton clan have faced their share of health battles.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Trump played a role of his own in applying pressure.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Some of the world’s most prominent business leaders started out in customer-facing roles.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The name refers to the practice of growing three crops—beans, squash or pumpkin, and maize—together in a single section of land, a technique also known as intercropping or interplanting.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In Colorado, the company has made access possible to 162 acres of state trust land and nearly a mile of the Arkansas River near Cotopaxi, southeast of Salida.
    Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • To sprout your sweet potatoes, bury them halfway in a container of moist potting soil, such as in a pot or an aluminum baking tray.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
  • From there, the 32-year-old kingpin stands accused of threatening a Bollywood superstar, murdering a pop icon, and orchestrating a political assassination halfway across the world.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Just when things appeared to cool down and players were separated, another skirmish occurred near the bleachers.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Tocchet tried playing the two of them together in camp, in practices and in the preseason games, but separated them for the final preseason game and for Monday’s practice.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • With that goal, Messi moved into first place in the Golden Boot race, one goal ahead of Denis Bouanga of Los Angeles FC, who is away on national team duty with Gabon.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
  • If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The grand jury that approved the charges against Comey was divided, as 14 of the 23 jurors approved the two counts, just over the necessary 12-vote threshold.
    Jared Gans, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
  • It is calculated by dividing the ‘progress’ (the distance the ball travelled towards the opponent’s goal line) by the ‘sequence time’ (the duration of the sequence).
    Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Part.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/part. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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