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
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
Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
And the front office has had its faith rewarded for choosing to preserve that group, rather than splinter it for cheaper options.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 present wave of Texas secessionism began under the aegis of an organization known as the Republic of Texas, which eventually splintered into different groups.
—Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
And the front office has had its faith rewarded for choosing to preserve that group, rather than splinter it for cheaper options.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Li co-founded Baidu in 2000 as a search engine but has since transformed the firm into one of China’s top full-stack AI companies, offering everything from chips and cloud infrastructure to models, agents, applications, and consumer products.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
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The hippo features a revolving bottle rack, glass storage, ice bucket, and serving tray, from which its previous owner reportedly served chips and salsa.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There is no other way to slice it.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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For fewer calories, consider loaves sliced smaller or thinner.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The seven core collaborators – Kogonada, producer Chung An, producer Christopher Radcliff, producer-cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, and actor-producers Richardson, Mao and Jin Ha – collectively owned the project, splitting responsibilities and working without outside financing.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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By splitting the iPhone portfolio into two, the $1,999 iPhone Ultra can position itself as the luxury model and be priced accordingly.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
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The path of annularity crosses southern parts of Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and (a tiny sliver of) Brazil in South America.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 June 2026
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Instead of being rolled, the enchiladas are stacked with slivers of tortilla, then topped with the familiar glob of cheese.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 June 2026
Verb
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But her mother, who found it unseemly for a little girl to be swinging such a thing about, chopped it off one night while my mother was asleep.—
Esther Yi,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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If chopping garlic yourself is practical for you, chefs say whole heads are almost always worth the extra effort.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Martha Stewart,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The lake was divided into east and west, connected by a narrow channel, with a four-lane bridge crossing over it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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These laws give objective criteria to divide data into distinct tiers, between truly sensitive data that needs special handling, and other data that can be transferred across borders with adequate protections.—
Leonard Lim,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
Noun
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During the dig, students found numerous artifacts from the 19th century, including clay pipe fragments, a possible half-penny from the Glorious Revolution and a 17th-century ditch built to protect the castle while it was being built.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
4 Dec. 2025
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Analyzing pristine fragments of the asteroid delivered to Earth by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in 2023, a team led by Yoshihiro Furukawa of Tohoku University in Japan found ribose, a crucial building block of RNA, and glucose, an energy-rich sugar used by nearly all life on Earth.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The motion created from a single image is excellent—that one small shard that overlaps with the hand is the best part.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
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The footage showed that without responding, an officer smashed Hoskins’ passenger-side window, pelting him with shards of glass.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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