fragment 1 of 2

verb

ˈfrag-ˌment How to pronounce fragment (audio)
Definition of fragmentnext
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly you can fragment that peanut brittle easily, but how it breaks is basically up to the brittle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fragment

2 of 2

noun

ˈfrag-mənt How to pronounce fragment (audio)
as in piece
a broken or irregular part of something that often remains incomplete charred fragments of the exploded rocket were scattered over a huge area of ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word fragment distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of fragment are division, member, part, piece, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

When would division be a good substitute for fragment?

The meanings of division and fragment largely overlap; however, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When is it sensible to use member instead of fragment?

While the synonyms member and fragment are close in meaning, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

Where would part be a reasonable alternative to fragment?

The words part and fragment are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When can piece be used instead of fragment?

In some situations, the words piece and fragment are roughly equivalent. However, piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When could portion be used to replace fragment?

Although the words portion and fragment have much in common, portion implies an assigned or allotted part.

cut the pie into six portions

When is section a more appropriate choice than fragment?

The synonyms section and fragment are sometimes interchangeable, but section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

When might segment be a better fit than fragment?

While in some cases nearly identical to fragment, segment applies to a part separated or marked out by or as if by natural lines of cleavage.

the retired segment of the population

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 fragment
Verb
National defense, interstate infrastructure, disaster relief, and Social Security all rely on centralized federal funding, and fragmenting that system could undermine national cohesion. —Michelle Mbekeani, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025 And their populations have become increasingly fragmented, which means changes in social behavior and making more risky moves are big red flags for a dwindling species. —New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
Well previewed her ceramic pieces that incorporate shards of 10th-century pottery fragments discovered near a former ceramics factory in Ramallah, Palestine. —Grace Banks, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 Bread sold in six different states has been voluntarily recalled after fragments of glass were found on top of the bread, the Food and Drug Administration has announced. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fragment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment
  1. disrupt
  2. piece
  3. fracture
  4. fraction
  5. break
  6. bit
  7. disintegrate
  8. scrap
Verb
  • Indeed, on Thursday in Basel, a small group of protesters blew whistles and waved flags to disrupt one of Raphael’s public rehearsals.
    — Alex Marshall, New York Times, 16 May 2025
  • Light pollution disrupts animal behavior, interrupts plant cycles, and affects human health.
    — Valerie Stimac, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Definition of disrupt
Noun
  • Mazzoli created a lush score that was alternately sweeping or intimate, sensuous or mystical, yet with a distinctive sound that was her own weaving a thread through the piece.
    — Janelle Gelfand, Cincinnati.com, 19 July 2017
  • This is why the war stories of Tom Clancy are such convincing and moving pieces of fiction.
    — Janine Barchas, Washington Post, 18 July 2017
Definition of piece
Verb
  • Brubaker fractured his ribs in spring training, and other injuries, including Tommy John surgery, have kept him out of the majors since 2022.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 18 May 2025
  • When a parent abuses a child, the experience can be too horrible to bear, so that what happens is that the core of the child’s identity gets fractured.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2025
Definition of fracture
Noun
  • All these years later, attendance at the IndyCar road course event is a fraction of the Indianapolis 500.
    — Bill Koenig, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
  • The magnet, derived from the rare earth element neodymium, was as strong as an iron magnet but a fraction of the volume, allowing automakers to introduce thin power doors, power steering, and power seats, as well as use permanent magnets in motors.
    — Mark Dent, HubSpot, 9 May 2025
Definition of fraction
Verb
  • Most of them lasted for about one microsecond before breaking apart.
    — George Petras, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • But this can be broken, not least when winning is on the line.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Definition of break
Noun
  • Inflation eased to a four-year low Your wallet may feel a tiny bit of ease.
    — Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • That promo bit was preceded by a series of surprise mini-concerts at other bars in Boston and Nashville, as well as a pop-in at Nashville’s Santa’s Pub with Noah Kahan for a short dual set and reconstruction the pop-up pub at the Coachella Festival.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 May 2025
Definition of bit
Verb
  • Join 13 others in the comments View Comments Though defunct objects in space routinely fall out of orbit, most pieces of debris disintegrate entirely during the reentry process.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
  • The altitudes at which satellites disintegrate are too high for meteorological balloons to reach but too low for satellites to sample.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 5 May 2025
Definition of disintegrate
Noun
  • Probably not, but Paul has been getting the better of all the scraps between the two on WWE programming.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • The owner of that scrap metal yard agreed in a settlement with the city in 2023 that his business would only purchase legally obtained catalytic converters and copper wire.
    — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 19 May 2025
Definition of scrap

Browse Nearby Words

fragility
fragment
fragmental
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Cite this Entry

“Fragment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragment. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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