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fragment

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noun

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

Examples 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
Besides being fragmented, crisis systems can vary from state to state and county to county. Cheryl Platzman Weinstock, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2024 The mosaic industry is often fragmented, with design, manufacturing and installation handled by separate entities, which can lead to a loss of cohesion in the final product. Ray Corral, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
The fragments of the missile called Oreshnik -- Russian for hazel tree, and which the Pentagon said is based on Russia's RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile -- have not been analyzed yet, according to security officials at the site. Samya Kullab and Elise Morton The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 25 Nov. 2024 The asteroid's rapid rotation period of less than one hour aligns with what scientists would expect from either a large boulder ejected from the Moon's surface or a fragment broken off from a larger lunar object. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fragment 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment
Verb
  • Pearson, 28, became an effective multi-inning reliever after getting traded from Toronto (2.73 ERA in 19 appearances), and the Cubs probably won’t want to disrupt that momentum.
    Sahadev Sharma, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Shiite militias from Iraq and Syria launched rockets and drones to disrupt Israel’s advanced air defense systems, but these efforts posed no significant threat to them.
    Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2024
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
Verb
  • The media landscape has fractured since then, with the rise of streaming services scrambling the old ways of doing business.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Terance Mann, who fractured the middle finger on his left hand in Tuesday’s game, will have surgery Thursday and will miss at least three weeks.
    Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Two Bit’s Santa Monica spot, situated among Third Street Promenade’s cacophony of casual eateries and an oversized chess board, is 4,000 square feet, a fraction of the downtown location’s size.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
  • The questionable expenses were a small fraction of the $4.36 billion in delivery expenses Macy’s recognized between the fourth quarter of 2021 through its most recent period.
    David Goldman, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The task of fixing all that broke at Paramount under the Redstone family won’t be easy.
    Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Kardashian most recently made headlines after attending the opening of SKIMS on 5th Avenue in New York City on Thursday, December 12 on a scooter after breaking her foot.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • As on Android, the bulk of the app data is deleted to free up space, with key bits of information kept on your phone.
    David Nield, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2024
  • This understandable bit of gamesmanship has unintended consequences.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.
    Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Previously part of the Soviet Union, Chechnya asserted its independence from Moscow as the bloc disintegrated.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Du Plessis went six for 11 on takedowns during Saturday’s scrap.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Many Americans never knew the EV1 existed — and the fight to keep it alive ended with GM crushing nearly all the cars into scrap.
    Jack Mitchell, NPR, 6 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near fragment

Cite this Entry

“Fragment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragment. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fragment

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