FRAGMENT Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

fragment 1 of 2

verb

ˈfrag-ˌment

Definition of fragment

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

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

Ironically, the concerns Ferguson once raised about fragmenting communities such as Baltimore City are an inevitable consequence if the measure passes. — Yuripzy Morgan, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026 The Faults of Modern Job Searches Over the course of the past several years, as technology has continued to evolve, the hiring process has become increasingly fragmented. — William Jones, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Noun

Ancient dirty dishes University of South Carolina archaeologist Adam King and his colleagues found fragments of ancient DNA from Theobroma cacao in the inner surfaces of potsherds from long-ago feasts at Etowah. — ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026 The study combined technological, petrographic, and geochemical analyses of pottery fragments recovered from a kiln at Qurayyah. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fragment

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment

Verb

Afternoon or evening exercise can improve strength, reduce stress, and lower injury risk, but intense sessions could disrupt sleep.

— Health Editorial Team, HEALTH, 27 Aug. 2026
Changing weather patterns also disrupt plant biology, deplete water infrastructure, and increase operating costs.

— Jonathan Destler, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of disrupt

Verb

Upon his return to the team, Simmons started three games before fracturing his wrist in a game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026
Corbin fractured his jaw in two places, busted his upper arm, and lacerated his lip.

— Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of fracture

Noun

Huge investments are needed to extract the rich resources in Venezuela, whose oil output remains at a fraction of its capacity due to decades of mismanagement, lack of investment and sanctions.

— Anniek Bao,Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
Teacher coverage has fallen sharply, uniforms meet just a fraction of demand, forcing officials to recruit retirees and students while parents shoulder school meals and supplies once guaranteed by Cuba’s vaunted system.

— Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of fraction

Verb

Kusama’s large-scale sculptures and immersive installations break attendance records at museums and galleries around the world, and her works regularly set records at auction.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez broke hard for the ball, and no one covered third in his place.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of break

Noun

But the tricky bit is doing so without eviscerating Congress’ regulatory powers across a lot of different dimensions, including criminal law, that the justices may also think important.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
The terrific new album was played in its entirety during the middle portion of Squeeze’s set and evoked a little bit of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds in some spots.

— David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of bit

Noun

End-of-life rare-earth permanent magnets, manufacturing swarf, and other scrap containing critical minerals were deemed recoverable resources essential to national security.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Another scrap of Shakespeare appeared, longer this time, echoing down the corridor of memory.

— Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of scrap

Browse Nearby Words

fragility

fragment

fragmental

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“Fragment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragment. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fragment

verb

noun

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