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to splinter

to splinter

21 3.9
To break into many small, sharp pieces like wood or glass
  • verb
  • /ˈsplɪntər/
translation icon : astillarse
  • The wagon was ruined, the canvas shredded, and the wooden box splintered and cracked.

The narcissistic ego is as fragile as sponge sugar, and when it crashes, it splinters into lots of little pieces.

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Examples

  • One Who Cries thrust the splintered shaft into the mad beast's eye, making the animal flinch.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • If you don't handle the glass carefully, it can splinter and cause injury.

  • The wood splintered like it's been ripped out of here.

  • The man jumps away from a small tree that has splintered six inches from his shoulder.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Some undetectable fault would splinter and drop her through its shards.

    Academic text (2007)
  • His leg's not only fractured in three places, the bone is splintered.

  • Garth's staff hammered down across its skull, splintering with the force of the impact.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Exceptionally powerful storms can blow a tree over, either uprooting it entirely or splintering its trunk.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Under its upper section gaped an irregular hole framed by boards that had splintered into sharp fragments.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The old wooden chair splintered when he sat down too hard.

Synonyms

to break
vsto splinter
1.0

To change a large bill into smaller bills

creates many small sharp pieces specifically rather than general damage
to chip
vsto splinter
104 2.3

To break off a small piece of an object

creates many small sharp pieces rather than only a single small piece
to fracture
vsto splinter
91 4.7

To break a hard object, for example a bone or rock

produces small sharp pieces rather than only a crack or split
to shatter
vsto splinter
72 2.8

To break suddenly into many small pieces, like glass

forms many small sharp pieces rather than blunt or random bits
to break up
vsto splinter
66 2.7

Separate something into smaller pieces

creates many small sharp pieces rather than merely dividing items
to chop up
vsto splinter
56 1.9

To cut something into smaller pieces by sharp blows again and again with a knife or axe

results in small sharp pieces rather than roughly struck parts
to split up
vsto splinter
47 2.6

To divide something into smaller parts

creates many small sharp pieces rather than simply dividing into parts
to come apart
vsto splinter
44 3.1

To break into pieces or fall into separate parts

results in many small sharp pieces rather than general falling apart
to fragment
vsto splinter
39 3.7

To break into small pieces or make something break apart

creates many small sharp pieces rather than larger chunks
to tear up
vsto splinter
39 2.7

To rip something into small pieces

makes small sharp pieces rather than soft torn shreds
to cut up
vsto splinter
32 1.1

Make something into smaller pieces using scissors or a knife

breaks into small sharp pieces rather than rough torn bits
to break off
vsto splinter
28 2.8

To make a piece come away from something by hitting or bending it

produces many small sharp pieces rather than removing a single section
to break apart
vsto splinter
26 3.0

To separate into pieces, for example a machine or a group

makes many small sharp pieces rather than mere separation
to snap off
vsto splinter
9 3.5

To break a piece from something with a quick, sharp movement

yields many small sharp pieces rather than a single sudden detachment
to cut to pieces
vsto splinter
8 5.4

Break something into many small parts or hurt someone very badly

creates many small sharp pieces rather than merely smaller parts
to smash up
vsto splinter
  • Informal
5 4.7

To damage something very badly so it breaks into pieces

creates small sharp pieces rather than general violent destruction
to chip off
vsto splinter
3 3.2

Break a small piece from something by hitting or pressing it

produces many small sharp pieces rather than a lone detached bit
to sliver
vsto splinter
3 5.1

To break or cut something into thin narrow pieces

forms many small sharp pieces rather than thin strips
to break away
vsto splinter
2 3.5

To come off a larger thing, often because of force or damage

yields many small sharp pieces rather than one detached portion
to fragmentize
vsto splinter
8.2

To break something into many small pieces

results in many small sharp pieces rather than general division
to whack up
vsto splinter
  • UK
8.3

To divide something into parts, for example by cutting it or by sharing it among people

results in small sharp pieces rather than merely struck sections
to discerp
vsto splinter
  • Archaic
9.9

To tear something into separate parts, usually by force

creates many small sharp pieces rather than general forced division

Compounds

A small group that leaves a larger group because its members disagree

How Broken

to shatter
72 2.8
to splinter
21 3.9
to crack
311 1.0
to chip
104 2.3

Surface Forms

splinter infinitive
splintered past
splintered past participle
splintering present participle
splinters third person singular

Etymology

The word splinter comes from an old German word meaning 'split' and gives a strong image of wood cracking into many thin, sharp pieces. So to splinter is to 'split' something into small, sharp pieces.