List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 54

SYNONYMS: break, crack, fracture, burst, split, splinter, shatter, smash.
These verbs are compared as they mean to separate or cause to separate into parts or pieces.

Break is the most general and like the other members of the set implies either the sudden application of force or the build-up of internal stress: a window broken by vandals; broke her leg; a delicate chair that will break under a great weight.
To crack is to break, often with a sharp snapping sound, without dividing into parts: I cracked the platter when I knocked it against the table. The foundation of the house cracked during the earthquake. The soil cracked from the drought.
Fracture applies to a break or crack in a rigid body: fractured her skull in the accident; a vertebra that fractured in the fall.
Burst implies a sudden coming apart, especially from internal pressure, and the dispersion of contents: The child burst the balloon with a pin. Her appendix burst.
Split refers to a division into sections longitudinally or along the direction of the grain: split the log with an ax; frost that caused the rock to split.
Splinter implies splitting into long, thin, sharp pieces: The tree was struck by lightning and splintered. Repeated blows splintered the door.
To shatter is to break into many loose scattered pieces: The bottle will shatter if you drop it. An exploding gas main shattered the tiles.
Smash stresses force of blow or impact and suggests complete destruction: My glasses slipped from my hand and smashed on the floor. The boat was smashed on the rocks.