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
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Clashes between Islamist militants have become a central feature of the conflict wreaking havoc across the Sahel and West Africa, including in Nigeria, where Boko Haram has engaged in frequent battles with a splinter faction aligned with ISIS' Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
But the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which splintered from the Sinaloa cartel in 2009, became one of the nation’s most fearsome criminal organizations under Oseguera’s leadership.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Noun
The paper also prevents wear and tear on the wood surface and keeps small splinters from snagging delicate clothing.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Clashes between Islamist militants have become a central feature of the conflict wreaking havoc across the Sahel and West Africa, including in Nigeria, where Boko Haram has engaged in frequent battles with a splinter faction aligned with ISIS' Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
The brigades started shortly after the blizzard did and splintered into Signal group chats for individual neighborhoods.
—Eryn Dion, The Providence Journal, 24 Feb. 2026
But the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which splintered from the Sinaloa cartel in 2009, became one of the nation’s most fearsome criminal organizations under Oseguera’s leadership.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Now prices for both DRAM and HBM chips have hit record highs, nearly doubling in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, according to technology research firm Counterpoint Research.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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The warnings come as technology companies looking to cash in on the AI boom through aggressive investments in AI infrastructure are straining memory chip inventories, leaving manufacturers in other memory-intensive sectors, like smartphone and PC producers, scrambling to secure chip supplies.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Troy Rice, like most golfers, says few things are more disheartening than slicing the ball on a swing that feels good.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Ramona would never slice the deficit to single digits.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The title game will be March 4 at Unrivaled’s home arena in Miami, with a prize pool of $600,000 to be split among players from the championship-winning club.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
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Britain split away on the second leg, looking for better wind.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On the tea-time menu that Wednesday is Vazhakkai Bajji, green plantain slivers folded into spicy chickpea batter, deep-fried a crisp orange-brown and presented on a banana leaf with a coconut dipping chutney on the side.—
Kalpana Mohan,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Far from busier beach bars that draw maritime visitors, Island Paradise Restaurant offers classic Caribbean fare bursting with flavor in a quaint local home with a sliver of an ocean view.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prepare this dish by shredding the chicken and chopping the carrots and leeks up to two days in advance.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Cooks will chop flesh in the kitchen.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Party strategists in both camps acknowledge that a prolonged and bitter runoff could leave Republicans divided heading into the fall.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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Committee members were split on proposals to close schools — divided between the belief that campuses with few students burden staff and provide limited resources, and the worry that combining small schools will create overcrowding, split communities and harm students.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The recall comes after the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service received a customer complaint about metal fragments found in the product.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
27 Feb. 2026
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With tears and fragments of personal narratives, this footage often digs deeper than some might expect for a sport derided as the domain of adrenaline junkies indifferent to the law.—
Maya Silver,
Outside,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Scant artifacts survived those conditions, and almost all the porcelain recovered from the site consisted of shards.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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Using two butter knives or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture looks shaggy, with pea-size pieces and a few flatter shards.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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