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
Jackson was nervous the entire time, worried Lopez might spot the ring box or piece the plan together. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025 Decades later, those archives are a window into a moment of epistemological uncertainty at the dawn of the environmental age, when nothing quite seemed to make sense anymore and concerned researchers were starting to piece it all together, one strange event at a time. Ben Naddaff-Hafrey, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for piece
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piece
Noun
  • Back in 2022, the coroner stated that investigators believe the 10,000 human bones and fragments found at Baumeister’s property in the 1990s could belong to 25 victims.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • The fragments of the sixth century Byzantine bucket have fascinated researchers since a tractor harrow accidentally unearthed the pieces in 1986.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • The clean ingredients and thoughtful composition show that Dossier put real care into creating something special.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 30 May 2025
  • Ramses aims to conduct a before-and-after-flyby analysis of the asteroid and features such as its surface characteristics, composition, orbit and more.
    Andrew Jones, Space.com, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • The bill has come under scrutiny, as a similar type of firearm was used in a 2018 school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • Scott, formerly of Hartford, was convicted of kidnapping resulting in Velez’s death and with causing the death of Velez through the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Whey protein is the liquid portion of milk that separates from the curd during cheesemaking.
    Lindsey DeSoto, Health, 20 May 2025
  • However, some portion of the funds had already been dispensed and spent prior to termination.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Karl, 17, appeared on the first-team bench in the Bundesliga this season and will probably spend the next few years building experience at senior level away from Bayern.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • These are people who work hard, pay taxes, build communities and believe in the American dream.
    Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Don't load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear though, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there's no padding here.
    Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 25 May 2025
  • Still, by the end of the film, the two finally reconcile their differences with a handshake, probably largely thanks to that whole bit about Ethan successfully saving the world... again.
    EW.com, EW.com, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • The Cannes festival surprised Highest 2 Lowest star Denzel Washington, in town for only a few hours in between Broadway performances of Othello, presenting the two-time Oscar winner, and cinema legend, with an honorary Palme d’Or for his life’s work.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025
  • Her work has appeared in Quanta, Scientific American, and MIT Technology Review.
    Joanna Thompson, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • The artist is facing 14 charges, including aggravated assault, possessing and aiming a gun at someone, reckless conduct, conspiracy to commit a felony, and simple assault, among others.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
  • Brown faces an additional count as well for allegedly being a felon in possession of a gun.
    Chris Spargo, People.com, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Piece.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piece. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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