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

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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.

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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
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
Political divides further splintered the response, as Europe sought to put distance between itself and the United States’ Iran strategy. — Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2026 His diverse coalition is far less ideologically aligned, and even the tiniest step could splinter the bloc and send the country back to elections. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 28 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 frantic construction of data centers to power the AI boom has meant big profits for a wide array of companies — chip makers, power providers, cooling system producers, cloud computing companies and more.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Chinese government reportedly recruited a female executive, Alice Huang, to spy on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and gather intelligence on the company’s most advanced chips, which are currently banned from sale in China.
    — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of chip
Verb
  • The outrage mob may try to sink their talons into anyone who does, but they've been declawed by the will of the people — who sliced right through the propaganda.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • My only gripe is these don’t come with a dipping sauce, so pick up a bag of scallions to slice and scatter over—nice touch—and the Gyoza Dipping Sauce.
    — Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 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
  • Delta Air Lines, which accounts for a sliver of flights at CLT, told the Observer airports ultimately decide how gates are assigned, but airlines need dependable access to serve customers, and airports need flexibility to respond to changing demand.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Just a sliver of Dimorphos is visible, below and slightly to the left of the main asteroid.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of sliver
Verb
  • His mother and sister told police that Mohassib threatened to chop them up.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Bake the chocolate cake layer and chop all the chocolate on the first day; make the mousse and assemble the cake the following.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of chop
Verb
  • Chiplets and advanced packaging Chiplet designs divide a system’s functions among smaller semiconductor dies connected within a single package.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Those benefits focus on food security, economic mobility and reconnecting neighborhoods divided by the highway.
    — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of divide
Noun
  • The projectile then releases fragments near the aircraft, creating a cloud that can damage or destroy it.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • It was saved from oblivion by Manet’s friend Edgar Degas, who managed to get a hold of all the fragments.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of fragment
Noun
  • Microscopic shards of plastic have been found everywhere scientists have looked, from the depths of the ocean to the clouds above.
    — Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Villains like Ted Bundy are imagined to be relatively invulnerable to pain, even in a scenario as basic as stepping barefoot on a shard of glass.
    — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 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 12 Nov. 2026.

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