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 next

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

In it, DeLillo uses the Kennedy assassination to examine how conspiracy theories give shape and sense to an increasingly fragmenting culture. —

Reed Jackson, SPIN, 26 June 2026 In the process of court I have been fragmented, silenced, defamed and traumatized. —

Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Noun

Seventy of the intact dead dogs were X-rayed on site and many showed evidence of bullet fragments, the sheriff’s office said. —

Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026 Earlier this May, IAA officials said a child's chance discovery in the Negev Desert led to the identification of a 1,700-year-old Roman-era statuette fragment. —

Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for fragment

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragment

Verb

Even tiny electromagnetic disturbances can disrupt the quantum states that perform calculations, reducing the accuracy and reliability of the system.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
The decision severely hampered local planning for America’s 250th anniversary, disrupting history projects, museums and educational programs nationwide.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of disrupt

Noun

Refine a portfolio piece, build a small prototype, or share a draft with someone who gives honest notes.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
Gomez's wedding guest dress also bore a striking resemblance to her 2025 Oscars dress, a custom off-the-shoulder piece by Ralph Lauren.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026

Definition of piece

Verb

The latest bout of internal military struggle, which started in 2023, fracturing along every possible fault line—religious, ethnic, political, tribal, and international—has created what the United Nations is calling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

— Janine di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026
Their relationships with their bankers had been fractured as had their contracts with talent.

— Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 June 2026

Definition of fracture

Noun

Roughly 100 children have been treated elsewhere in the hospital since last week, a fraction of those injured in the earthquakes.

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
The $8 million in fees represents only a fraction of the legal costs incurred by Lively during the course of 18 months of litigation against Baldoni.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 June 2026

Definition of fraction

Verb

Historic heat Since Thursday, heat in the East has broken at least three dozen daily high temperature records, many warmest-low-temperature records as heat reached levels that some cities haven’t experienced in more than a decade.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
The lead secured, Switzerland shifted to a five-man midfield out of possession, snuffing out the space and challenging the Algerians to play through it, but Petkovic’s charges struggled to break their opponents down.

— Reuters, NBC news, 3 July 2026

Definition of break

Verb

That changed in April 2023 when unknowing construction workers unceremoniously removed a disintegrating Pinky from its eyrie.

— Ryan Steven Green, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
The experiments have shown how a self-repair mechanism enables the spindle to stabilize itself under force and avoid disintegrating.

— Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 29 June 2026

Definition of disintegrate

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 5 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of fragment

verb

noun

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