splinter 1 of 2

noun

ˈsplin-tər How to pronounce splinter (audio)
Definition of splinternext
as in chip
a small flat piece separated from a whole she got a splinter from the unfinished wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

splinter

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to slice
to cut into long slender pieces He splintered the carrots into little sticks.

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to split
to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups The board splintered as soon as the most contentious issues came up for discussion.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 splinter
Noun
While Johnny Carson was a monolith, shaped by a dominant TV media structure to be all things to all people, the current crop of late-night hosts are merely splinters. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 May 2026 While the group claims it was formed by splinter factions of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, authorities have accused it of being a front for the TTP. — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Verb
The storm hit Jamaica on August 12, splintering three hundred homes, and 90 percent of banana crops rotted to black in the post-storm humidity. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 The apartment, though no one’s idea of a fun house, is bedecked with mirrors, and, early on, the cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra uses them to splinter the couple’s every argument into fragments. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
  1. chip
  2. slice
  3. split
  4. sliver
  5. chop
  6. divide
  7. fragment
  8. shard
Noun
  • Intel’s Lip-Bu Tan, who met Modi last December, also signed up as a prospective buyer for chips made by Tata Electronics.
    — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 July 2026
  • Bring along a bag of your favorite chips for dipping and enjoy!
    — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
Definition of chip
Verb
  • Peel kiwis using a knife, peeler, or spoon, and slice into wedges, rounds, cubes, or decorative halves.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026
  • The thighs just need to be sliced into large pieces (1½-2 inches is the sweet spot) before being threaded onto skewers.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of slice
Verb
  • In August, the five-person court split along party lines to meet once a month instead of twice a month.
    — Rachel Royster July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
  • In the future, should both formats reach 20 submissions in the same year, the Television Academy will automatically split the categories into two again.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of split
Noun
  • For every exhibition, book, and article that explores a sliver of our history, there are millions of stories that are not yet written—or that are still waiting for enough evidence to put together.
    — Lonnie G. Bunch III, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
  • The reusable rocket maker did it while selling only a tiny sliver—between 4% and 5%—of its stock.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 3 July 2026
Definition of sliver
Verb
  • Finely chop the remaining half pepper and add to the bowl, along with the onions.
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
  • This August, when the Pirates come to Dodger Stadium, Brockert worked out a deal to partner with a 120-year-old Pittsburgh institution, Isaly’s, to serve a hot dog topped with its signature chopped deli ham slathered in barbecue sauce.
    — Danny Palumbo, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of chop
Verb
  • The revelation has divided Jefferson descendants for decades.
    — Briana Stewart, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • The sale sees the property divided into three lots with two buildable, giving the opportunity to create a treasurable family compound in rural seclusion just a 30-minute drive from the island’s main towns.
    — Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of divide
Noun
  • After the cabin lights dim, sleep comes in fragments, and a travel pillow does little to ease a stiff neck.
    — Rio Yamat, Fortune, 7 July 2026
  • The most notable finds were a group of gold coins dated to the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled between 337 and 361, and a collection of about 200 ostraca—pottery fragments used as writing surfaces—inscribed in Coptic and Greek.
    — Anne Doran for ARTnews, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
Definition of fragment
Noun
  • With grit and one-liners, this American hero navigates air vents and glass shards to save the day.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • Two GB10s leverage a software technology called tensor parallelism to split, or shard, an AI model across both machines, harnessing them as a team to share the load and deliver results.
    — Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of shard

Browse Nearby Words

splint
splinter
splintered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on splinter

Nglish: Translation of splinter for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All