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
Megan Janetsky, Fortune, 10 May 2026
The differences — many of which existed before the crash — between those students splintered and grew with time, as happens with young people and relationships.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 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
Cartels have been using drones and more elaborate weapons for years to wage war, a sign of how entrenched the conflict is in regions like Guerrero, where cartels have splintered into rival factions.
—Megan Janetsky, Fortune, 10 May 2026
The differences — many of which existed before the crash — between those students splintered and grew with time, as happens with young people and relationships.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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Sean McVay’s team has a chip on its shoulder after watching the division rival Seattle Seahawks lift the Lombardi Trophy last season.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Scheffler was in the thick collar of rough to the right of the par-3 17th, facing a chip over a ridge and down toward the hole.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The organization also pointed to its guidelines for preventing Listeria contamination in ready-to-eat foods prepared or sliced in retail delis.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Arrange 1 avocado, thinly sliced, and ½ mango, thinly sliced, on top, then spoon tuna mixture with dressing over.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Critics have argued the skyway makes the challenge of filling empty storefronts doubly difficult, as second-floor retail effectively splits a dwindling customer and retail base between two levels.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
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By Mark O’Connell The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran.—
Susan Dominus Dina Litovsky Mark O’Connell Lulu Garcia-Navarro Amy X. Wang Nitsuh Abebe Linda Kinstler Lisa Sanders, M.D. Kwame Anthony Appiah John Hodgman,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The peas themselves are piled like cabochons over a thin pastry shell, dressed in a tart citrus vinaigrette and studded with slivers of pickled shallots that deliver bracing little sparks of brine against the crisp sweetness of the legumes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
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This is merely a sliver of the warm welcome Bhatia received on Friday, which saw an impressive second round that thrusted the powerful lefty to one-under-par on the day and minus-4 overall, comfortably in the Top 20 heading into the weekend.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
9 May 2026
Verb
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In asking the state for budget help, the Mamdani administration wants the NYC Passthrough Entity tax credit chopped from 100 percent to 75 percent, with the city keeping the other 25 percent.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Recipe information Mix 1 shallot, finely chopped, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of kosher salt in a bowl and let sit.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Top with 4 scallions, thinly sliced, dividing evenly, and drizzle toasted sesame oil over if desired.—
Rebecca Firkser,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 May 2026
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The rooms The property is divided into two towers that are connected by a sky bridge.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Noun
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On a spacecraft, this could not only puncture windows but also lead to internal spallation, where fragments break off inside the cabin.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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When her skeletal remains were discovered in February 2023, investigators determined, based on the fact that no clothing fragments were found near her remains, that Morales’s body had been left there naked.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Hall was found dead at a villa with head injuries, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported, and had shards of glass from a glass door in his chest, per local outlet Ultima Hora.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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For context, Juszczyk is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound behemoth whose knees probably feel like broken shards of glass at this point in his life.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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