Synonym Study

• Splinter , the splitting of wood, bone, etc. into long, thin, sharp pieces: all of these terms are used figuratively to imply great force or damage to break one's heart, smash one's hopes, crush the opposition, shatter one's nerves, etc.
• Fracture , the breaking of a hard or rigid substance, as bone or rock
• Split , separation lengthwise, as along the direction of the grain or layers
• Crack , incomplete separation of parts or a sharp, snapping noise in breaking
• Shatter , sudden fragmentation and a scattering of pieces
• Crush suggests a crumpling or pulverizing pressure
• Smash and crash add connotations of suddenness, violence, and noise
• Break , the most general of these terms, expresses their basic idea of separating into pieces as a result of impact, stress, etc.