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
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
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
No one knows if or when a tornado will splinter our condo or if someone will come across the centerline and smash into our SUV.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
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
Verb
The strongest internal check might be the American electorate, which would still have the ability to vote Trump’s allies out of office, splintering his coalition and potentially providing the votes for his impeachment and conviction.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
No one knows if or when a tornado will splinter our condo or if someone will come across the centerline and smash into our SUV.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Nvidia’s global ambition As Nvidia’s chips have become the backbone of the global AI industry, the company’s partnerships have expanded well beyond North America.—
Rosa de Acosta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The chip market will continue to have its characteristic boom-and-bust cycles, but the long-term upward trend is clearly established, Neuffer said.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Using single-cell RNA data from four additional mouse brains — including ones from male or female mice, and ones sliced from left to right or front to back — CellTransformer produced similar maps.—
Amber Dance,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Feb. 2026
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And then there's Reinhardt's sinister robot sidekick Maximilian, a silent, malevolent presence who has no qualms about slicing up humans with his Swiss Army Knife-esque collection of torture devices.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Instead of one big weekly grocery trip, shoppers are splitting their carts between a warehouse club and a traditional supermarket.—
Alexandria Mansfield,
Florida Times-Union,
8 Feb. 2026
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Michigan State starting on Valentine’s Day, the Bruins wrapped up their three-game homestand on a positive note after splitting the first two, a one-point, double-overtime loss to Indiana followed by a 22-point blowout of Rutgers in which five players scored in double digits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By the way, for context, the adjustments amount to a sliver (tenths of a percentage point) of overall employment.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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In one episode, the fight is over a small sliver of grass between two houses.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It can be enjoyed as a salad (be sure to massage the leaves first) or chopped and cooked in stews, soups, curries, and more.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
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Fresh marigold leaves were rinsed, chopped, crushed, centrifuged, filtered, and evaporated.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said the two men were hit near the ceasefire line that divides Gaza, with one half under Israeli military control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Developer Scott Gibbel had initially presented plans for three buildings on the site, but, following mixed reviews from commissioners at a meeting in December, the proposal was revised, with a 218,700 square-foot structure divided into two separate buildings.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Although most of the fragments in it show figurative details, the picture overall dissolves into an abstract pattern.—
Benjamin Lima
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
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Shifting the pricing pressure to individuals fragments purchasing power and weakens collective negotiation.—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To make this mulch, crush broken terracotta pieces into smaller chunky shards and scatter them around snail and slug-vulnerable plants, including lettuces, hostas, or strawberries.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
6 Feb. 2026
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Images in the aftermath of the attack showed bodies covered in blood lying on the floor of the mosque surrounded by shards of glass and debris.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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