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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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.

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

But as the season neared the winter transfer window, the expectation was for Mainoo to leave on loan rather than continue to pick up splinters on the bench. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 26 May 2026 Militant groups operating in northern Nigeria include Boko Haram and a splinter organization that broke away to affiliate with the Islamic State group. — ABC News, 24 May 2026

Verb

Outside of Fan Fest, a group splintered off to hold a banderazo, a mass gathering of soccer fans. — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 19 June 2026 Wood can also splinter and rot over time, compromising the structural integrity of the porch. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for splinter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter

Noun

Intel’s Lip-Bu Tan, who met Modi last December, also signed up as a prospective buyer for chips made by Tata Electronics.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Bring along a bag of your favorite chips for dipping and enjoy!

— Patricia S York, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Definition of chip

Verb

In August, the five-person court split along party lines to meet once a month instead of twice a month.

— Rachel Royster July 8, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
In the future, should both formats reach 20 submissions in the same year, the Television Academy will automatically split the categories into two again.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026

Definition of split

Noun

For every exhibition, book, and article that explores a sliver of our history, there are millions of stories that are not yet written—or that are still waiting for enough evidence to put together.

— Lonnie G. Bunch III, The Atlantic, 4 July 2026
The reusable rocket maker did it while selling only a tiny sliver—between 4% and 5%—of its stock.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 3 July 2026

Definition of sliver

Verb

Finely chop the remaining half pepper and add to the bowl, along with the onions.

— Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
This August, when the Pirates come to Dodger Stadium, Brockert worked out a deal to partner with a 120-year-old Pittsburgh institution, Isaly’s, to serve a hot dog topped with its signature chopped deli ham slathered in barbecue sauce.

— Danny Palumbo, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of chop

Verb

The revelation has divided Jefferson descendants for decades.

— Briana Stewart, ABC News, 4 July 2026
The sale sees the property divided into three lots with two buildable, giving the opportunity to create a treasurable family compound in rural seclusion just a 30-minute drive from the island’s main towns.

— Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of divide

Noun

After the cabin lights dim, sleep comes in fragments, and a travel pillow does little to ease a stiff neck.

— Rio Yamat, Fortune, 7 July 2026
The most notable finds were a group of gold coins dated to the reign of Roman emperor Constantius II, who ruled between 337 and 361, and a collection of about 200 ostraca—pottery fragments used as writing surfaces—inscribed in Coptic and Greek.

— Anne Doran for ARTnews, Robb Report, 7 July 2026

Definition of fragment

Noun

With grit and one-liners, this American hero navigates air vents and glass shards to save the day.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Two GB10s leverage a software technology called tensor parallelism to split, or shard, an AI model across both machines, harnessing them as a team to share the load and deliver results.

— Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 30 June 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 10 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of splinter

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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