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
-
That new self-sufficiency has required significant investments in AI chips for the team to train its models, though Suleyman declined to comment on the size of the team’s GPU stash.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Salon and some at-home gel manicures require a UV or LED lamp to cure the polish, resulting in a longer-lasting, chip-resistant, and shinier finish.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 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
-
Additional circumstantial evidence included the presence of Halbach's license plate, which was found in another vehicle on Avery’s property, a bullet fragment that was found in his garage with her DNA and Halbach's remains, which were located in and around a burn pit.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The two showers are grouped together because scientists believe that both the asteroid and the comet are fragments of a single, much larger object that broke up some 20,000 years ago, leaving a collection of debris known collectively as the Encke Complex.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After cutting and trimming any splinters, place the stakes behind the trellis.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The revelation felt like a splinter that lodged itself in Kai’s heart.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Mix in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for heat.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Paul loves their flake, Prue loves the balance of coffee and chocolate in one variety, and Paul loves the raspberry, pistachio, and white chocolate (barf) ones.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement The shard bomb detonates, but victory comes at a cost.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Scott Wedgewood finally came unglued and left Colorado’s chances of winning in shards on the ice.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spall. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share