splinter

American  

[splin-ter] / ˈsplɪn tər /

noun

1. a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, bone, or the like, split or broken off from the main body.

   Synonyms:

   sliver

2. splinter group.

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verb (used with object)

1. to split or break into splinters.

2. to break off (something) in splinters.

3. to split or break (a larger group) into separate factions or independent groups.

4. Obsolete. to secure or support by a splint or splints, as a broken limb.

verb (used without object)

1. to be split or broken into splinters.

2. to break off in splinters.

   Synonyms:

   split, part, separate

splinter British  

/ ˈsplɪntə /

noun

1. a very small sharp piece of wood, glass, metal, etc, characteristically long and thin, broken off from a whole

2. a metal fragment, from the container of a shell, bomb, etc, thrown out during an explosion

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verb

1. to reduce or be reduced to sharp fragments; shatter

2. to break or be broken off in small sharp fragments

Other Word Forms

• splinterless adjective
• splintery adjective
• unsplintered adjective

Etymology

Origin of splinter

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German; splint

Example Sentences

But regional cooperation doesn’t need to splinter the world entirely.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

She trained in classical arts—voice and dance—and common notions of beauty are present in her music, yet she seems equally determined to splinter her tracks into pieces via technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Ours is a history in which New York robber barons used the promise of belonging to splinter the poor into factions and manipulate them into fighting among themselves during the Gilded Age.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2026

But recently, the AI trade has started to splinter.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

I firmly believe that people’s souls can splinter off when they die.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass

Related Words

• disintegrate
• fracture
• rive
• shatter
• smash
• split