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.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of splinter
Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Weeks before King Charles' coronation, The Times reported that Pope Francis, then the leader of the Catholic Church, gave King Charles two splinters of wood believed to be from the True Cross as a personal gift in honor of the coronation.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Julie Watts
april 20, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
As the Beatles began to splinter, Spitz writes, the Stones sharpened their focus.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Noun
Upon impact, cannonballs would have sent wooden splinters flying like debris from grenades.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Apr. 2026
Weeks before King Charles' coronation, The Times reported that Pope Francis, then the leader of the Catholic Church, gave King Charles two splinters of wood believed to be from the True Cross as a personal gift in honor of the coronation.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
How much could your name — and Swalwell's name being on the ballot — and frankly other low-polling Democrats, how much could that splinter the race?
—Julie Watts
april 20, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
As the Beatles began to splinter, Spitz writes, the Stones sharpened their focus.
—Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for splinter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinter
Noun
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More recently, Tan struck a partnership with Elon Musk on a scheme to build a massive factory complex and shake up the chip industry.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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The danger isn't from huge visible objects but rather from debris the size of paint chips, which can pierce windows (or space suits) or damage vital systems.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The organization also pointed to its guidelines for preventing Listeria contamination in ready-to-eat foods prepared or sliced in retail delis.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
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Arrange 1 avocado, thinly sliced, and ½ mango, thinly sliced, on top, then spoon tuna mixture with dressing over.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Verb
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Critics have argued the skyway makes the challenge of filling empty storefronts doubly difficult, as second-floor retail effectively splits a dwindling customer and retail base between two levels.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
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By Mark O’Connell The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran.—
Susan Dominus Dina Litovsky Mark O’Connell Lulu Garcia-Navarro Amy X. Wang Nitsuh Abebe Linda Kinstler Lisa Sanders, M.D. Kwame Anthony Appiah John Hodgman,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The syndicate desks engineered the pop by only offering a sliver of stock.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
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On the morning of May 14, the 8% sliver of the waning moon will be positioned about 7½ degrees to the upper right of the red planet.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 May 2026
Verb
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In asking the state for budget help, the Mamdani administration wants the NYC Passthrough Entity tax credit chopped from 100 percent to 75 percent, with the city keeping the other 25 percent.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
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Recipe information Mix 1 shallot, finely chopped, juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of kosher salt in a bowl and let sit.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 May 2026
Verb
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The space is divided into six distinct environments, including a Dolby Atmos lounge for immersive, spatial audio, a gallery area for talks and panels, and a 'listening bar' where staff offer their own personal recommendations.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 May 2026
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Colbert grilled the former president on the topic dividing the city, baseball.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Noun
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On a spacecraft, this could not only puncture windows but also lead to internal spallation, where fragments break off inside the cabin.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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When her skeletal remains were discovered in February 2023, investigators determined, based on the fact that no clothing fragments were found near her remains, that Morales’s body had been left there naked.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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These ice chunks, which are also conductors, can stretch into shards.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 May 2026
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Suddenly, the plane’s landing gear tires struck the truck, shaking it and sending shards of glass flying.—
Sarah Dewberry,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Splinter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/splinter. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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