SPLINTER Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

splinter 1 of 2

noun

ˈsplin-tər

Definition of splinter

as in chip

a small flat piece separated from a whole she got a splinter from the unfinished wall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

splinter

2 of 2

verb

as in to slice

to cut into long slender pieces He splintered the carrots into little sticks.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of splinter

Noun

Legend has it this imperative caused the park’s architect, William Russell Everitt, to smash the original model to splinters with a baseball bat. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 July 2026 Congress can swing the axe but taxpayers pick up the splinters. — Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Verb

These days, everyone’s splintered into parts and performance. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026 Here’s a fun wrinkle that says a lot about how this industry has splintered. — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for splinter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter

Noun

For comparison, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, began mass-producing 7nm chips in 2018 and can achieve yields exceeding 90%, depending on factors including chip design and die size.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Slate chips replace the usual bark or mulch, and layered plantings, custom window boxes and a medallion set into the rear of the fireplace show the same level of care found indoors.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of chip

Verb

From there, the software can automatically repair models, orient them for printing, generate supports, arrange parts on the build plate, slice the file, and send it directly to the printer.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
The blade can make light work of opening packages, cutting cord, slicing through leather, and more.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of slice

Noun

Most of the moon will be obscured, with only a thin sliver remaining outside the shadow, giving the lunar surface an eerie red glow.

— Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2026
The portion of the First Miami Presbyterian Church site slated for redevelopment faces a sliver of Biscayne Bay that separates Brickell from Brickell Key.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of sliver

Verb

His first came after he was released down the flank by Semenyo, carrying the ball forward before chopping inside and hammering a shot straight at Nick Pope.

— Thom Harris, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Florida chef Elijah Button was chopping onions in June when his knife slipped and sliced his middle finger to the bone.

— Ali Swenson, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of chop

Verb

The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.

— Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Essentially a form of computational fluid dynamics, the simulation divides the flow passages into a very large number of tiny regions and calculates things such as velocity, pressure, turbulence, and temperature throughout the component.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of divide

Noun

In a sequencer that resembled a large fridge, millions of short nucleic-acid fragments would be identified in the span of ten hours.

— Jason Liebowitz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026
The artifacts included eight deformed sickles, one intact sickle, part of a sword blade, ornament fragments, three ingots and two unfinished objects.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of fragment

Noun

But globs of liquid mercury worked just fine to show the melting shards coming together, even though its toxicity meant the special effects crew had to wear protective gear over the two-day shoot.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
According to a study published today in the journal PLOS One, pottery shards excavated from the famous Etowah mounds in present-day Georgia contain trace residues of the plant.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of shard

Browse Nearby Words

splint

splinter

splintered

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Style

“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of splinter

noun

verb

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