splinter 1 of 2

noun

ˈsplin-tər How to pronounce splinter (audio)
Definition of splinternext
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

splinter

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to slice
to cut into long slender pieces He splintered the carrots into little sticks.

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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
One day, while washing a wooden cutting board, a splinter lodged in my left index finger. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026 Townshend’s cynicism proved prescient as the generation that marched, occupied, and dropped out in the late 1960s spent the 1970s watching the New Left splinter. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
When another attack splinters the small town of Pikeville, Charlotte — now a lawyer like her father — is the first witness on the scene. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026 With the throne disengaged from governance, petitions and reports from officials piled up unread, crucial state posts went unfilled, and the imperial bureaucracy splintered amid poisonous factional infighting. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
  1. chip
  2. slice
  3. split
  4. sliver
  5. chop
  6. divide
  7. fragment
  8. shard
Noun
  • The shift from chips to capital carries significant risks should OpenAI run into trouble.
    — Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the MacBook Neo runs on an A18 Pro chip, first released in iPhones and adapted to run macOS.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of chip
Verb
  • Greece's prime minister rejected a maritime agreement between Libya and Turkey, which slices ownership of part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea between the two countries.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The Lakers went to sleep in the second quarter and started to get cooked by the Warriors, watching their big lead get sliced to 53-53 at the half.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of slice
Verb
  • The Global Methodist Church, a conservative group, split from the denomination in 2022.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The men and women, both of whom split their home games between Hartford and M&T Bank Center at Gampel Pavilion on campus, have staged periodic doubleheaders in the years since, when schedules intersected.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of split
Noun
  • In September of 2025, a De’Von Achane sliver of a foot stepping out of bounds prevented the Dolphins from taking a late lead on the eventual AFC champions.
    — Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Every election, there is a crucial sliver of voters who help determine which candidates win.
    — Mara Liasson, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of sliver
Verb
  • Pre-cut produce has quietly become a grocery store staple, saving time for busy families and making fresh food easier to manage for anyone who finds chopping a chore.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Stir in 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (this will give it a head start to take off the raw edge), then add bacon, zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 3 sprigs sage, and 2 Tbsp.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of chop
Verb
  • Several aircraft could divide surveillance tasks or combine their efforts to improve coverage in a particular sector.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Depending on your opinion of him (the fandom is divided), this one might not be your favorite.
    — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of divide
Noun
  • Months later, the same group identified a similar protein fragment in the brain of a person with Down syndrome, a condition linked to an unusually high risk of Alzheimer’s-like pathology and dementia.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Over time, these cracks can expand and connect, eventually causing metal fragments to break away inside the engine.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of fragment
Noun
  • Neighbors are raising questions about the school's field where a student was injured by shards of glass.
    — Payton May, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Each is almost seven by five feet, and most establish a broad field of color—blue, crimson, orange—across which migrate sharp and irregular shapes, some like long teeth or spears, others like shards of obsidian.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of shard

Browse Nearby Words

splint
splinter
splintered
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Cite this Entry

“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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