as in chip
a small flat piece separated from a whole
she got a splinter from the unfinished wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
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Recent Examples of splinter
Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Their performance is stoking a rising sense of anxiety among Democrats as their vote splinters among a field of eight contenders, with the head of the state party calling on low-polling candidates to quit by April 15.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.
—Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Noun
Injuries range from mouth splinters and choking to bowel blockages, eye damage, wounds, infections, or even sticks penetrating the body; vets have treated severe cases, some fatal.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Their performance is stoking a rising sense of anxiety among Democrats as their vote splinters among a field of eight contenders, with the head of the state party calling on low-polling candidates to quit by April 15.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
Democratic support in polls has been splintered among eight candidates, prompting the state party chair to urge lower-polling contenders to withdraw by April 15.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.
—Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Rival OpenAI, of course, is already working with Broadcom on chips that will roll off the production line later this year.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Boldy grabbed a loose puck in the offensive zone and fed a pass to the net front, where Kaprizov was waiting for a chip shot and a 2-1 Minnesota lead after 20 minutes.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kahan is from the Upper Valley, a quaint and seasonally verdant region encompassing parts of eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire, and sliced through by the Connecticut River—a scenic haven for canoers and for anglers chasing trout.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Machete in hand, Gamaliel Camarena sliced the back of a man who managed to escape by ducking into a donut shop and barring the door.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The judge, Wendy Vitter, had split the case into two separate proceedings.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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In the 11th minute, SDFC threatened to take a 2-0 lead when Valakari split a pair of Minnesota defenders before blasting a low attempt from the top of the box.—
Kyle Kensing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Only a portion of the Moon is visible in frame below, with its curved edge revealing a bright sliver of sunlight returning after nearly an hour of darkness.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
7 Apr. 2026
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Every second, that rice-sized sliver sifts through billions of bits of data on 20 watts of power.—
Philip Moyer,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The seeds and surrounding juices inside uncooked tomatoes can be slightly bitter and astringent, so squeeze them out before chopping the flesh (this also prevents the sauce from getting too watery).—
Claire Saffitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
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With the score tied at 4-4 and one out in Saturday’s game, Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda chopped a grounder to Chisholm.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kelly said that could be achieved by creating a fund that would be divided up annually between qualifying cities and counties — a similar proposal to one House lawmakers approved in the original version of the protest petition bill.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The warehouse has divided the community.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Another passerby suffered a minor injury after being struck with a bullet fragment that struck a wall.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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During past close approaches with the Sun, Phaethon released vast amounts of dust and larger fragments.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There may be no documents in the libraries, but the trees hold bits and shards of this land’s collective memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
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Twenty-thousand-year-old shards of clay pots have been unearthed in China.—
Abbey Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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