1
: a short thick piece or lump (as of wood or coal)
2
: a large noteworthy quantity or part
bet a sizable chunk of money on the race
3
: a strong thickset horse usually smaller than a draft horse
4
psychology
: a unit of information retained in the memory and easily recalled
The process of memorizing may be simply the formation of chunks, or groups of items that go together, until there are few enough chunks so that we can recall all the items.—
Marilyn Sternglass
Marilyn SternglassA chunk represents a recoding of information. For example, the sequence 149217761941 would, for most of us, be a snap to remember. Almost automatically we'd recode the 12 digits into three chunks, 1492, 1776, 1941, all key dates in US history.—Robert Kanigel
Robert Kanigel
chunked; chunking; chunks
: to make a dull plunging or explosive sound
… the rhythmic chunking of thrown quoits.—John Updike
John Updike1
: to mishit (a golf ball or shot) by striking the ground behind the ball
2
psychology
: to organize (separate units of information) into a single large unit that is retained in the memory and easily recalled
To recall a 10-digit telephone number, for instance, a person could chunk the digits into three groups: the area code (such as 021), then a three-digit chunk (639) and a four-digit chunk (4345).—Jonathan K. Foster
Jonathan K. FosterExamples of chunk in a Sentence
Noun
She cut the fruit into large chunks.
She spends a good chunk of her day on the phone.
He devoted a large chunk of time to the project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Stir chunks into muffin batter, or seal into puff pastry for quick turnovers.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chunk
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Noun
In the Art Institute drawing, a woman savors a chunk of carrot cake while lounging topless amid twenty-one other figures performing semi-aerobic choreography across the wall.
—Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026
His team unleashed a large advertising buy — a major chunk of his remaining campaign funds — placing spots on cable TV and online beginning in late March.
—Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Verb
Nearby, a group of men sat cross-legged on the ground in a circle, shielding their eyes from errant flakes as one of them hammered chunks off a large clump of gum.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Stir chunks into muffin batter, or seal into puff pastry for quick turnovers.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chunk
Cite this Entry
“Chunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chunk. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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