SPLINTERS Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

splinters 1 of 2

noun

Definition of splinters next

plural of splinter

as in slivers

a small flat piece separated from a whole she got a splinter from the unfinished wall

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

splinters

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of splinter

as in slices

to cut into long slender pieces splintered the carrots into little sticks

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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 splinters

Noun

In 1903, a vicious winter storm reduced most of the piers to splinters, and by 1906 offshore oil production at Summerland had all but ceased. —

Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026 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 Unlike typical wooden options, this one offers much easier maintenance thanks to its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) build that won’t require repainting nor leave you with pesky splinters. —

Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Mar. 2026 Injuries range from mouth splinters and choking to bowel blockages, eye damage, wounds, infections, or even sticks penetrating the body; vets have treated severe cases, some fatal. —

Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026 Their performance is stoking a rising sense of anxiety among Democrats as their vote splinters among a field of eight contenders, with the head of the state party calling on low-polling candidates to quit by April 15. —

Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 From removing splinters or opening bandages, to snagging ingrown hairs and tightening eyeglass screws, tweezers are one of those travel essentials that my mom never regrets packing. —

Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026 Similarly, older floors tend to creak and squeak underfoot, and may even have loose staples, nails, or wooden splinters that can put you at risk. —

Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 25 Feb. 2026

Verb

Endlessly switching between apps and online platforms splinters our attention and can lead to digital exhaustion, leaving us anxious, apathetic and unfocused. —

Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026 Megyn Kelly is continuing her hard-right tack, lashing back at Ben Shapiro and aligning herself with Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon as the MAGA movement dramatically splinters. —

Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025 Rumors are swirling in Kansas political circles that Republican leaders are considering initiating a special session like the one that just concluded in Missouri and produced a new map that splinters Kansas City into three congressional districts. —

Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025 Instead of picking a single character to follow for the duration of the film, Cregger splinters the mystery among six people, separated into distinct chapters, beginning with Justine. —

Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for splinters

Noun

How much America’s Culinary Cup relies on head-to-head cook-offs to send people home gives all those slivers of information a little more urgency, though.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
On the tea-time menu that Wednesday is Vazhakkai Bajji, green plantain slivers folded into spicy chickpea batter, deep-fried a crisp orange-brown and presented on a banana leaf with a coconut dipping chutney on the side.

— Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026