piece 1 of 2

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
Even if leaders approve the concept of an Arab military alliance, hardware is only one piece of the challenge. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025 One dress, a strapless faded pink number with a full skirt that seemed to have just been tacked onto the waist creating a peplum effect, featured a Purina print in a nod to one of Rauschenberg’s pieces that made use of the dog food’s branding. Blue Carreon, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
But that didn’t stop them from piecing the sequence together. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025 Godinez pieced Andrade up for three rounds. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • What lingers are the fragments that weren’t rehearsed, a voice breaking, a note pulled from the back of a notebook, a chant that filled the room, a line spoken more to a spouse than to the cameras.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • One of these middens spanned an area the size of five football pitches and was packed with the remains of the feast—up to 15 million bone fragments.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Eastern-style methods, including tongue and pulse diagnoses, along with the more Western-nodding body composition analysis, nutritional advice and detox regimens like the three-day program designed by tennis legend Novak Djokovic, enable guests to tailor their ideal wellness retreat.
    Terry Elward, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Each room and common area feels like a treasure box; there’s hardly an inch of space that doesn’t beg you to stop, snap a photo, and admire the artistic composition.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Speaking on Fox & Friends, Patel said forensic teams identified Robinson's DNA on both a screwdriver and a towel wrapped around the firearm believed to have been used in the fatal shooting.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
  • One reason is that the availability of increasingly lethal firearms continues to grow dramatically.
    John J. Donohue, Time, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This is especially true when facing the game's many bosses, who often only briefly telegraph their intentions before unleashing attacks that can fill a huge portion of the screen.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
  • What To Know Subway said its four Fresh Fit sandwiches will be built on multigrain bread and contain a serving of vegetables, at least 20 grams of protein and fewer than 500 calories in a 6-inch portion.
    Toby Meyjes, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The 35-year-old founder has built a remarkably high-earning captive agency, all while staying within the corporate framework that others rush to leave.
    William Jones, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • But his focus, as ever, was on building a movement that could endure for years to come.
    Eric Cortellessa, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In the course of his 50-plus-year writing career, there's been a good bit of debate over Stephen King's ability to deliver a satisfying ending.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This evolved into a prototype chiefly engineered by Burrell Smith, selecting for its CPU the 8-bit Motorola 6809 as an upgrade from the Apple II's MOS 6502 but still keeping costs low.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And the handle took a lot of work.
    Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Norman's posts on social media, which primarily focused on community policing work, drew enough attention that in 2021 then-President Joe Biden awarded Norman and 15 others the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But unlike in past deadly episodes of gun violence, the leaders were silent on calling for any gun control measures.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • A student who authorities say opened fire at his Colorado high school, wounding two classmates and then turning the gun on himself, has died, according to the local sheriff's office.
    Alex Stone, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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