as in chip
a small flat piece separated from a whole
found a variety of uses for the spalls left over from their stonecutting operations
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Recent Examples of spall
The curtains are made up of overlapping, three-quarter inch plates of AR500 steel encased in a layer of ballistic nylon that captures spall, the shards of metal that break off from a colliding bullet.
—
Dan Robitzski, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2018
The reports noted that numerous repairs had been made to cracks and spalls in the spillway.
—Bettina Boxall, latimes.com, 24 Apr. 2017
Dan Robitzski, Popular Mechanics, 8 Mar. 2018
The reports noted that numerous repairs had been made to cracks and spalls in the spillway.
—Bettina Boxall, latimes.com, 24 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spall
Noun
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For example, the White House warned US companies against using AI chips made by China’s national tech champion Huawei.—
Samantha Waldenberg,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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Last year, PepsiCo began adding more chips to bags following complaints about shrinkflation.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The first quarter of the menu is raw or nearly so (and heavily inspired by Ward’s many trips to Japan): sashimi slivers of that madai, hamachi and bluefin are enlivened with white soy, tama miso or simple fresh wasabi.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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The album’s most interesting moments are the ones that try to reveal a sliver of the star’s more complex innermost thoughts, including some insecurities.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Study co-author and archaeological scientist Katerina Douka explains that this technique can be used to sort through large numbers of fragments in a way that is impractical for other methods such as DNA sequencing.—
Tom Hawking,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
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That’s despite the fact that pyroclastic flows—ground-level, fast-moving clouds of extremely hot gas and volcanic fragments—are one of the most dangerous results of volcanic eruptions.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
Noun
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At the same time, the new Syrian government has reportedly cracked down on several Palestinian factions involved in the war in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and another PFLP splinter, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
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While splinters were already forming, a trio of Grammy nominations nevertheless followed - with Potter left to ponder what could’ve/should’ve been.—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Drizzle with copious honey or, as Brenner points out in this recipe, lend it an even more savory edge with oregano, olive oil and chile flakes.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
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This Best of Beauty-winning shampoo smells great and soothes dry, itchy scalps (with aloe) while tackling flakes (with piroctone olamine).—
Elizabeth Siegel,
Allure,
1 June 2025
Noun
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That plume included ash, volcanic rock and volcanic glass shards known as Pele's hair.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
26 May 2025
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Neolithic masons filled the gaps between individual stones with shards of greywacke, a type of sandstone that also lined the chamber floor.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spall. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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