split 1 of 3

split

2 of 3

noun

split

3 of 3

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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
Americans are split over whether the Democratic Party is committed to a fair criminal justice system. Emily Guskin, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025 Of the more than $19 billion it’s expected to generate in the next 30 years, 40% will go to trains, 20% will go to buses and 40% will be split between Charlotte and local towns to use on road improvements. Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
The fourth-down play broke down from the start when defensive end Derrick Brown split center Elgton Jenkins and right guard Jordan Morgan to flush quarterback Jordan Love out of the pocket to his right. Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025 Ladd reflected on their split to Parade magazine in 1992. Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The wide-leg pleated pants are paired with a knit vest top featuring a flattering split hem. Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2025 Reaching the moon 56 years ago meant a monomaniacal focus on that one goal, not the split attention—and split budgets—of maintaining a permanent presence in low-Earth orbit while simultaneously trying to reach another world. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for split
Recent Examples of Synonyms for split
Verb
  • Qianlong took a page from the design of private gardens in southern China to make the layout more compact, and divided the site into four connected courtyards, two of which are currently open to the public, from south to north.
    Fred He, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Engineers divide conventional aircraft into three main lightning zones.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Those fissures burst into the open last week, when Tucker Carlson conducted a friendly interview with the cheerfully white nationalist streamer Nick Fuentes.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The journalist Beth Macy, who in her previous books chronicled the widening fissures in American society by examining the opioid crisis and the aftereffects of globalization, grew up there.
    Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There would be no breakup, no hard words, no goodbyes.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
  • The band released a statement assuring that Arcade Fire will continue despite the breakup.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • European markets fell after a divided Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
  • It’s supported by a broad coalition of industry leaders, environmentalists, chefs, fishermen and scientists—in a time that feels so divided, this is an awesome example of people coming together.
    Amanda Leland, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Yet, asked specifically about the fine hairs separating the top three undefeated teams in this first ranking, Mack Rhoades, the committee chair and athletic director at Baylor, sounded like a man torn between numbers and gut feelings.
    Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • For her part, BunnaB, beloved for her infectious, near-constant laughs, has separated herself from this ascendant pack by infusing her bubbly disposition, girl’s girl attitude, unfettered authenticity — and the unmistakable gravity of earning a second shot.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The Shark also comes with an upholstery tool and crevice tool for even deeper cleaning.
    Kaitlin Gates, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2025
  • How To Keep Stink Bugs Out Stink bugs can squeeze into tight spaces between siding, crawl into cracks and crevices in window frames, and enter through open doors, windows, and vents.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The 1947 partition of the South Asian subcontinent into India and Pakistan led to the world’s largest mass migration.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Curtained storage solutions—the opposite of the cold, stainless steel shelving that has dominated interiors recently—can also offer a symbolic partition in multiuse spaces.
    Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Failing to install the device, or disconnecting or tampering with it, could result in a $600 fine or six months in jail.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Split.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/split. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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