piece 1 of 2

1
2
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production presented a new interpretation of the piece by Mozart

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in portion
something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group believes his piece of the profits should be higher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piece

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word piece distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of piece are division, fragment, member, part, portion, section, and segment. While all these words mean "something less than the whole," piece applies to a separate or detached part of a whole.

a puzzle with 500 pieces

When is division a more appropriate choice than piece?

While in some cases nearly identical to piece, division applies to a large or diversified part.

the manufacturing division of the company

When can fragment be used instead of piece?

While the synonyms fragment and piece are close in meaning, fragment applies to a part produced by or as if by breaking off.

only a fragment of the play still exists

Where would member be a reasonable alternative to piece?

In some situations, the words member and piece are roughly equivalent. However, member suggests one of the functional units composing a body.

a structural member

When might part be a better fit than piece?

The words part and piece can be used in similar contexts, but part is a general term appropriate when indefiniteness is required.

they ran only part of the way

When would portion be a good substitute for piece?

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

cut the pie into six portions

When could section be used to replace piece?

The meanings of section and piece largely overlap; however, section applies to a relatively small or uniform part.

the entertainment section of the newspaper

In what contexts can segment take the place of piece?

The words segment and piece are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 piece
Noun
The public offers a piece of its mind Mic's Celeste Katz discloses that Trump's controversial voter fraud panel won't let the public speak at its first meeting on July 19 but did solicit emails. The Hive, 14 July 2017 Alan Jacobs, a professor at Baylor University, has written eloquently about that last piece. Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 14 July 2017
Verb
Emphasis on the recollecting of these lives brought back and pieced back together, and what that actually means. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 30 May 2025 There was a huge amount of work needed to piece it all back together. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • The bulk of the work is usually left to the cast: the routine version of a movie involves pictures of actors acting, like audiovisual fragments of plays.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
  • During their excavations, the scientists also found several artifacts, including charcoal and fragments of broken ceramics.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • Dense breasts don’t correlate with body or breast size—they’re a function of tissue composition, with more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat.
    Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • The objective is to study the composition and origin of the domes and surroundings.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • After learning of the matter, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Bohn’s Woodbury home and found an unloaded firearm in a locked case in his garage, according to the complaint.
    Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025
  • In a search of the apartment, police recovered a Glock 19 Gen 5 firearm with an optic sight attached.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • Elam also shared portions of one of Lewis' final text messages to her.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 14 June 2025
  • German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, speaking alongside President Zelenskyy in Kyiv on June 12, said that the initial $4.6 billion pledge has grown to more than $10 billion, with a substantial portion earmarked for Ukraine’s procurement and production of long-range weaponry.
    Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • The tension builds to a notorious final-act showdown in this Steve Shill film that has become internet meme royalty, with Beyoncé and Larter squaring off in one of the most over-the-top house fights ever filmed.
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • Certain regions of the city may also be more susceptible to extreme heat because of the urban heat island effect — when factors, including building materials and tree canopy cover, cause the environment to trap more heat.
    William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • The Padres have a fair shot to regroup and win one of three wild-card playoff spots, even if Preller may have to get a little bit lucky in the trade market.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • There’s familiarity, there’s evolution and there’s a little bit of something for all demographics of music too, not just country.
    Melinda Newman, Billboard, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • There’s a deep yearning and caring at work here that is the film’s idiosyncratic strength, but also may be its weakness, plausibility-wise.
    Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 13 June 2025
  • The House narrowly voted Thursday to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump's administration looks to follow through on work done by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Bradley Fighting Vehicle Looks like a tank but the Bradley has a smaller gun, missiles and carries soldiers into combat.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 14 June 2025
  • Cellphone footage posted on social media showed Brown approaching the other man with the gun, then the sound of gunshots as the target ducked his head, according to the footage.
    Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

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