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cleave was our Word of the Day on 03/08/2014. Hear the podcast!
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Recent Examples of cleave from the Web
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Keith Black, the neurosurgeon who had treated her mother, advised Menounos on the choice to blast the tumor with radiation, closely monitor it, or perform a risky operation to cleave it out of her skull.
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So why not just cleave the two -- perhaps to turn up the heat on Republicans -- and get somewhere.
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A win for Handel, on the other hand, could be interpreted by Republicans as evidence that their support among their base remains strong, leading them to cleave closer to the president and his agenda.
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Described by their peers in other offices as remarkably close, Scalise's staff cleaved to their boss' side.
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Mr. Trump has further widened the political gulf in a state that was already culturally cleaved among Appalachia, the traditional South and the fast-growing Middle Atlantic.
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Britain remains divided following the prodigious backfiring of Theresa May’s snap general election, cleaved between a series of fractures that emerged, glaringly, alongside Brexit.
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After gaining entry inside the cell, the complex is cleaved, freeing phosphotyrosine and the analog again.
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Check out the Millennium Falcon cleaving through asteroid debris like a scythe, or those Separatist droid armies throwing down against hordes of clone troopers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cleave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cleave
Middle English clevien, from Old English clifian; akin to Old High German kleben to stick
Synonym Discussion of cleave
cleave
Definition of cleave
cleaved
play \ˈklēvd\ alsocleft
play \ˈkleft\ orclove
play \ˈklōv\;cleaved
alsocleft
orcloven
play \ˈklō-vən\;cleaving
transitive verb
1 : to divide by or as if by a cutting blow : split The blow cleaved the victim's skull.
2 : to separate into distinct parts and especially into groups having divergent views The political party was cleaved by internal bickering.
3 : to subject to chemical cleavage a protein cleaved by an enzyme
intransitive verb
1 : to split especially along the grain The ax easily cleaved the log.
2 : to penetrate or pass through something by or as if by cutting The ship's bow cleaved through the water.
Recent Examples of cleave from the Web
-
Keith Black, the neurosurgeon who had treated her mother, advised Menounos on the choice to blast the tumor with radiation, closely monitor it, or perform a risky operation to cleave it out of her skull.
-
So why not just cleave the two -- perhaps to turn up the heat on Republicans -- and get somewhere.
-
A win for Handel, on the other hand, could be interpreted by Republicans as evidence that their support among their base remains strong, leading them to cleave closer to the president and his agenda.
-
Described by their peers in other offices as remarkably close, Scalise's staff cleaved to their boss' side.
-
Mr. Trump has further widened the political gulf in a state that was already culturally cleaved among Appalachia, the traditional South and the fast-growing Middle Atlantic.
-
Britain remains divided following the prodigious backfiring of Theresa May’s snap general election, cleaved between a series of fractures that emerged, glaringly, alongside Brexit.
-
After gaining entry inside the cell, the complex is cleaved, freeing phosphotyrosine and the analog again.
-
Check out the Millennium Falcon cleaving through asteroid debris like a scythe, or those Separatist droid armies throwing down against hordes of clone troopers.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cleave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of cleave
Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofan; akin to Old Norse kljūfa to split, Latin glubere to peel, Greek glyphein to carve
Synonym Discussion of cleave
CLEAVE Defined for Kids
Definition of cleave for Students
cleaved
orclove
\ˈklōv\;cleaving
: to cling to a person or thing closely The child cleaved to his mother.
Headscratcher for cleave
The two verbs cleave look and sound alike, but have very different meanings. One means “to split apart,” and the other means “to cling to.”
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about cleave
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See words that rhyme with cleave Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cleave Spanish Central: Translation of cleave Nglish: Translation of cleave for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cleave for Arabic speakers
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