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 Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Weeks before King Charles' coronation, The Times reported that Pope Francis, then the leader of the Catholic Church, gave King Charles two splinters of wood believed to be from the True Cross as a personal gift in honor of the coronation.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The revised budget also consolidates the city’s efforts to remove flammable brush, which have been splintered between the Fire-Rescue, Transportation and Parks and Recreation departments.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Noun
Upon impact, cannonballs would have sent wooden splinters flying like debris from grenades.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Weeks before King Charles' coronation, The Times reported that Pope Francis, then the leader of the Catholic Church, gave King Charles two splinters of wood believed to be from the True Cross as a personal gift in honor of the coronation.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
Higgins requested to have the mayor’s race splintered off into a separate ballot referendum, but that request didn’t gain traction among the commissioners.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The revised budget also consolidates the city’s efforts to remove flammable brush, which have been splintered between the Fire-Rescue, Transportation and Parks and Recreation departments.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Three Rock rises to the occasion But the members of Three Rock are eager to prove their mettle, especially Hartman (Simon Auclair), whose jealousy over Ace's graduation earlier this season left him with a massive chip on his shoulder.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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There's an emphasis on seafood here, with the popular Smoked Fish (chips n’ dip) as well as a few different raw items to choose from.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Beau Neidhardt slices a Kale Caesar Cutlet hoagie.—
Susan Spencer,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
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Start by slicing one fresh jalapeño into thin rounds.—
Noel Burgess,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Diaz’s face was split open by the end of the second round, the canvas looked like a crime scene and Perry stormed around the cage afterward, demanding a fight with Paul while fans stood on chairs trying to film the madness below them.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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There’s a whole-house generator, central AC/heat, and mini-splits to keep things feeling comfortable no matter the weather.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
17 May 2026
Noun
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The dress is shaped by a series of cutouts down the bodice, exposing slivers of the dancer’s skin.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
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Whereas Charlotte and area towns have some control over projects through zoning decisions in their communities, the county only oversees a small sliver of unincorporated land in south Mecklenburg.—
Mary Ramsey
May 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 May 2026
Verb
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In one sequence, the robot prepares a 20-step meal that includes chopping tomatoes, cracking eggs with one hand, and coordinating both hands during cooking.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
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An authentic Philly cheesesteak sandwich, for which the meat is thinly sliced, never chopped!—
Susan Spencer,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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For the first time, Division 1 of the CIF-SS playoffs is a 16-team group that was divided into four pools of four teams each.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
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In between Biennale exhibits, here is where to eat, drink, and pull up a stool, by sestiere, the six historic districts that divide the city.—
Jenn Rice,
Vogue,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Straus Family Creamery is voluntarily recalling a variety of organic ice cream flavors and sizes sold in 17 states because of concerns there may be metal fragments in the frozen treats, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
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Vaccines present either defanged pathogens or distinctive fragments of them to specialized immune cells—namely, T cells and antibody-producing B cells—that can then learn to identify those microbial enemies.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The dress is adorned with mother of pearl diamond shards, pearls and crystal xillions.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
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That film generated some moody power before collapsing into a pile of surrealist-horror shards.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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