as in chip
a small flat piece separated from a whole
found a variety of uses for the spalls left over from their stonecutting operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 spall
The curtains are made up of overlapping, three-quarter inch plates of AR500 steel encased in a layer of ballistic nylon that captures spall, the shards of metal that break off from a colliding bullet.
—
Dan Robitzski, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2018
The reports noted that numerous repairs had been made to cracks and spalls in the spillway.
—Bettina Boxall, latimes.com, 24 Apr. 2017
Dan Robitzski, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2018
The reports noted that numerous repairs had been made to cracks and spalls in the spillway.
—Bettina Boxall, latimes.com, 24 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spall
Noun
-
In terms of competition, though, Huawei is the alpha dog in Chinese AI chips, shipping between 300,000 and 400,000 of its Ascend AI chips last year, compared to just north of 10,000 units from Cambricon.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The quarterback might touch the $1,000 poker chip or tap his chin or touch his black chips to indicate who at the table had the best hand.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In remembrance, Collins carved a sliver of the Jackson pediment into tiny rose petals and scattered them around the remnant.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
-
When a survey showed the city’s measurements of the land were slightly off, the family refused to surrender the remaining two-foot sliver.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The tens of thousands of ceramic fragments that were packed inside these underground time capsules have helped archaeologists date the layers and track the evolution of the temple's surroundings over the course of millennia.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Nanoplastics, the microscopic fragments shed from larger plastic waste, are emerging as a new frontier in environmental and health research.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The revelation felt like a splinter that lodged itself in Kai’s heart.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
There’s splinters on the floor.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The material is washed, processed locally into balls, flakes and/or pellets that meet European industrial standards, and then spun into a high-grade thread, without blending with virgin plastic or chemical additives.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Add a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt for texture, a dash of red chili flakes for heat, and finish with a drizzle of your favorite olive oil.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In addition to the fortress itself, a number of artifacts were also unearthed, including pottery shards adorned with bright colors.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Out of the shards, a message Douglass continued studying how the Malagasy have interacted with and adapted to their changing environment and climate over time.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spall. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share