piece 1 of 2

Definition of piecenext
1
2
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production presented a new interpretation of the piece by Mozart

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in portion
something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group believes his piece of the profits should be higher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piece

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word piece distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of piece are division, fragment, member, part, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When is division a more appropriate choice than piece?

While in some cases nearly identical to piece, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When can fragment be used instead of piece?

While the synonyms fragment and piece are close in meaning, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

Where would member be a reasonable alternative to piece?

In some situations, the words member and piece are roughly equivalent. However, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When might part be a better fit than piece?

The words part and piece can be used in similar contexts, but part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When would portion be a good substitute for piece?

Although the words portion and piece have much in common, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When could section be used to replace piece?

The meanings of section and piece largely overlap; however, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

In what contexts can segment take the place of piece?

The words segment and piece are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 piece
Noun
Little is officially known about the project, but Corbet has offered various pieces of information in interviews. Alex Ritman, Variety, 16 May 2026 In other words, your personal information isn’t just sitting online one piece at a time. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Verb
For the past decade, a team of scholars, librarians, and archivists have used bibliographical clues—including inscriptions and bookplates—to piece back together a record of Schomburg’s groundbreaking collection. Laura E. Helton, Literary Hub, 20 Apr. 2026 Ahead, nine of our favorite runway looks to take into spring, and how to piece them together. Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • Straus Family Creamery is voluntarily recalling a variety of organic ice cream flavors and sizes sold in 17 states because of concerns there may be metal fragments in the frozen treats, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 16 May 2026
  • Vaccines present either defanged pathogens or distinctive fragments of them to specialized immune cells—namely, T cells and antibody-producing B cells—that can then learn to identify those microbial enemies.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Such spectroscopy is a powerful technique for in-depth studies of celestial objects, capable of revealing their rotation, motion, composition, distance, and much more.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2026
  • The heart to heart chat played a big role in Hannah’s composition for the Pop Music Showcase, which stemmed from a specific phrase Allie used to describe Hannah.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Braden Peters, an online influencer known as Clavicular, was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service after pleading no contest in an agreement with Florida prosecutors to unlawfully discharging a firearm in public.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 May 2026
  • One of them, Hossein Hosseini, received basic firearms training from a masked member of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
    Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • In a later portion of the video, sources said the person believed to be Clark can be seen reaching into the backseat of the vehicle and then shooting Vazquez, before chambering a second round and taking his own life.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 19 May 2026
  • The scale has certainly been pumped up, with an obviously bigger budget, spectacular action sequences and a significant portion projected in full IMAX-level proportions.
    Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • Mike Santana learns his next opponent Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
  • James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Everyone is at least a little bit flawed.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
  • Except for the Kentucky Derby winner going for the Triple Crown, the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes has a little bit of everything.
    Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Noun
  • The offense needs a lot of work, and Monken, who has 11 years of NFL offensive coaching experience (though never as a head coach), is tasked with fixing it.
    Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • The new ranch comes with a coffee-drinking porch (mandatory), but it is weathered, rustic and needs work.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • Authorities later received a tip that Benítez-González was the shooter and was attempting to sell guns in an effort to flee the United States.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
  • The force also may be used to help quell civil disturbances and, if necessary, be armed with guns.
    Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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