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sliver 1 of 2

noun

ˈsli-vər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
Definition of slivernext
as in chip
a small flat piece separated from a whole I got a sliver of wood stuck in my finger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sliver

2 of 2

verb

ˈsli-vər How to pronounce sliver (audio)
as in to slice
to cut into long slender pieces carefully slivered the rattan stems into strips for basketry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sliver
Noun
Their work lodges itself into the psyche like a sliver of wood thrust beneath a fingernail. — Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026 As the eclipse peaked, all but a thin sliver of the moon was covered by Earth’s shadow. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
The dish was popularized in the western Oklahoma City suburb of El Reno, where Ross Davis first piled slivered onions onto thin beef patties at his Hamburger Inn. — Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sliver
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sliver
  1. chip
  2. slice
  3. fragment
  4. shard
  5. splinter
Noun
  • For decades, electronic chips have powered almost every digital device around us, from smartphones and computers to the servers running artificial intelligence.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The deal also helps Nvidia hedge against hyperscalers' custom chips.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of chip
Verb
  • Food prep including tomato cutting and slicing on an unclean surface.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • There are a lot of ways to slice the metrics on just how dependent the US economy has become on AI (and AI-adjacent) spending.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of slice
Noun
  • Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Taken together, these masterworks mirror Prieto’s own process, which often uses chance as a springboard for composition and which harnesses ephemera — memories, scents, poems, or even architectural fragments — to create new work.
    — Jill Singer, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of fragment
Noun
  • Smoke continued to rise from the twisted shards of metal, while the remains of the World Trade Center smoldered in a massive pile.
    — Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Once the drop trap — a simple wire cage triggered by yanking on a cord — is set up with an enticing mix of sardines and shards of roast chicken on a cardboard tray inside, everyone moves out of sight behind massive logs a few yards away.
    — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of shard
Noun
  • Los Lobos emerged as a splinter organization from Los Choneros and has established routes into Mexico through relationships with organizations including Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Treasury said.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • One day, while washing a wooden cutting board, a splinter lodged in my left index finger.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of splinter

Browse Nearby Words

slitting
sliver
slivered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sliver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sliver. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sliver

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sliver

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