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
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 May 2026
While the group claims it was formed by splinter factions of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, authorities have accused it of being a front for the TTP.
—Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
By the time the film crew set up camp for the night on the outskirts of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the plan was already beginning to splinter.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Noun
While Johnny Carson was a monolith, shaped by a dominant TV media structure to be all things to all people, the current crop of late-night hosts are merely splinters.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 May 2026
While the group claims it was formed by splinter factions of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, authorities have accused it of being a front for the TTP.
—Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Verb
The storm hit Jamaica on August 12, splintering three hundred homes, and 90 percent of banana crops rotted to black in the post-storm humidity.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
By the time the film crew set up camp for the night on the outskirts of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the plan was already beginning to splinter.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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The surge in chip investment and demand has reignited economic growth and inflation, compelling the Bank of Korea (BOK) to consider aggressive rate hikes.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Dads can get a Canyon Burger with choice of fries or tumbleweed chips for $10 on Sunday, June 21 (offer good at participating locations for dine-in or orders placed via online; not valid on third-party delivery sites).—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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There is no other way to slice it.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
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As lasers sliced through smoke billowing from the stage, frontman Tyrone Lindqvist's silky falsetto floated over a sea of festivalgoers stretching far, far, far beyond the soundboard.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Verb
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The seven core collaborators – Kogonada, producer Chung An, producer Christopher Radcliff, producer-cinematographer Benjamin Loeb, and actor-producers Richardson, Mao and Jin Ha – collectively owned the project, splitting responsibilities and working without outside financing.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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The last time the jackpot was hit was back on May 2, when two players in Texas and Florida split a $20 million prize.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
Noun
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The bright sunlit sliver of the moon will be dazzling, but the rest of the lunar globe will be visibly glowing from sunlight reflected off Earth's oceans and clouds back onto the moon.—
Jules-Pierre Malartre,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
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The public usually sees it only after the most serious or high-profile encounters, just a sliver of everyday police interactions.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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But her mother, who found it unseemly for a little girl to be swinging such a thing about, chopped it off one night while my mother was asleep.—
Esther Yi,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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Crumble or chop the bacon to add to the skillet with the pecans, then proceed as described above.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Verb
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The proposal also has divided politicians within the Democratic Party.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Support for Ukraine has divided the GOP for years.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
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The lithosphere, however, is not a single piece but is divided into puzzle-like fragments called tectonic plates, according to the USGS.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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One photo shows the fragments of a bomb.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Hall had shards of glass in his chest when he was found, per Utilma Hora.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
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In 2020, Ross became mostly blind in one eye after repeatedly getting metal shards in it and developing an infection in his cornea.—
Andrew Jones,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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