split 1 of 3

verb

ˈsplit How to pronounce split (audio)
Definition of splitnext
1
as in to divide
to set or force apart You should split logs now for a winter's supply of wood.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to polarize
to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups The party split over which tax policy to endorse.

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

split

2 of 3

noun

1
as in fissure
an irregular usually narrow break in a surface created by pressure an earthquake left a split in the ground

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2
as in breakup
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces the split of the group into two factions marked the beginning of the end of the organization

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

split

3 of 3

adjective

as in divided
disagreeing with each other opinions are split on the subject

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word split different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of split are cleave, rend, rip, rive, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

When is cleave a more appropriate choice than split?

While the synonyms cleave and split are close in meaning, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When might rend be a better fit than split?

In some situations, the words rend and split are roughly equivalent. However, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When can rip be used instead of split?

The words rip and split are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When would rive be a good substitute for split?

The synonyms rive and split are sometimes interchangeable, but rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

When could tear be used to replace split?

The words tear and split can be used in similar contexts, but tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

How is the word split different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of split are cleave, rend, rip, rive, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

When is cleave a more appropriate choice than split?

While the synonyms cleave and split are close in meaning, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When might rend be a better fit than split?

In some situations, the words rend and split are roughly equivalent. However, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When can rip be used instead of split?

The words rip and split are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When would rive be a good substitute for split?

The synonyms rive and split are sometimes interchangeable, but rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

When could tear be used to replace split?

The words tear and split can be used in similar contexts, but tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

How is the word split different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of split are cleave, rend, rip, rive, and tear. While all these words mean "to separate forcibly," split implies a cutting or breaking apart in a continuous, straight, and usually lengthwise direction or in the direction of grain or layers.

split logs for firewood

When is cleave a more appropriate choice than split?

While the synonyms cleave and split are close in meaning, cleave implies very forceful splitting or cutting with a blow.

a bolt of lightning cleaved the giant oak

When might rend be a better fit than split?

In some situations, the words rend and split are roughly equivalent. However, rend implies very violent or ruthless severing or sundering.

an angry mob rent the prisoner's clothes

When can rip be used instead of split?

The words rip and split are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rip implies a pulling apart in one rapid uninterrupted motion often along a line or joint.

ripped the shirt on a nail

When would rive be a good substitute for split?

The synonyms rive and split are sometimes interchangeable, but rive occurs most often in figurative use.

a political party riven by conflict

When could tear be used to replace split?

The words tear and split can be used in similar contexts, but tear implies pulling apart by force and leaving jagged edges.

tear up the letter

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 split
Verb
The 19-year-old has played four seasons in the QMJHL from 2022-26, split between Blainville-Boisbriand and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, recording 76 goals, 226 points, and a plus-53 rating in 230 regular-season games. —Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026 So begins another day of quad-box TV splits. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
But text messages between Manley and the city’s point person suggest Brea may not have pushed very hard for a more favorable split. —Victoria Le, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026 The split-screen dynamic is giving Republicans an early glimpse of what could become the party’s defining 2028 divide — one that may ultimately hinge on how the war unfolds. —Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Men were nearly split (48% in favor, 52% opposed), while women were more heavily against (41% in support, 59% against). —Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026 White counties were more split with Talarico getting 56% of the votes and Crockett grabbing 45%. —Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for split
Recent Examples of Synonyms for split
  1. divide
  2. fissure
  3. breakup
  4. divided
  5. separate
  6. crevice
  7. partition
  8. disconnect
Verb
  • How iftar dinner helps bridge divides Latif leads the Islamic Center of New York City, where volunteers recently prepared an evening iftar meal of chicken and rice and dates.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 18 Mar. 2026
  • The polling percentage was determined by the most recent Public Policy Institute of California survey, and the fundraising component took the total amount raised divided by the number of days a candidate was in the race.
    — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of divide
Noun
  • That tells you the kind of fissures that are there.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
  • But the 7th District has also exposed a fissure among the city’s left-leaning unions, as the CTU has backed Conyears-Ervin and contributed $72,500 to her state central committee fund.
    — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of fissure
Noun
  • Dixon produced 20 tackles and six pass breakups in his lone campaign with the Tar Heels.
    — Mike Kaye March 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The result would be the cataclysmic breakup of a country of 240 million people.
    — Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of breakup
Adjective
  • The divided views highlight deeper questions about how the site should be redeveloped and whether an arena fits.
    — Lilly Kersh, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Lawmakers on partial shutdown Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain divided over immigration reform, the issue behind a funding lapse for DHS.
    — Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
Definition of divided
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleges that the dispute escalated over a period of time that would have allowed security to reasonably notice the situation and intervene, but the bar failed to de-escalate, separate the people involved in the dispute or remove them from the bar.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Yet despite pressure, embargoes and various CIA plots, the communist government in Havana has resisted the wishes of its very powerful neighbor separated by just 90 miles (145 kilometers) of water.
    — Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of separate
Noun
  • Then comes the savory hoisin-soy sauce that slips into every little crevice.
    — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The trail will typically lead you to cracks and crevices where the colony is hidden.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 13 Mar. 2026
Definition of crevice
Noun
  • Chief among these is a British partition plan, well under way, to establish an Israeli state in Palestine; Jewish refugees, fleeing persecution in Europe, are already arriving en masse and building settlements in the countryside.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The Mission patients were separated from other patients only by plastic partitions, according to the CMS records.
    — Andrew Jones, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of partition
Verb
  • These are not legacy products disconnected from the future.
    — Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The phone call lasted about one minute before it was disconnected.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of disconnect

Phrases Containing split

Browse Nearby Words

splints
split
split hairs
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Cite this Entry

“Split.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/split. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on split

Nglish: Translation of split for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about split

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