sever

sev·er | \ ˈse-vər

How to pronounce sever (audio)

\

severed; severing\ ˈsev-riŋ

How to pronounce severing (audio)

, ˈse-və- \

Definition of sever

transitive verb

: to put or keep apart : divide especially : to remove (something, such as a part) by or as if by cutting

intransitive verb

: to become separated

Other Words from sever Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about sever

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for sever

separate, part, divide, sever, sunder, divorce mean to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed. separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing. separated her personal life from her career part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association. vowed never to part divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking. civil war divided the nation sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member. a severed limb sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart. a city sundered by racial conflict divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together. cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

Examples of sever in a Sentence

He severed the lowest tree limbs. His finger was severed in the accident. Activists are asking the government to sever all diplomatic relations with the country.

Recent Examples on the Web The crowd’s gasp as the axe severed his neck was a sound no one ever forgot. — Eliga Gould, The Conversation, "The American Founders made sure the president could never suspend Congress," 3 Sep. 2019 The latest salvo in the clash between the twin titans of season ski passes landed Friday with the news that Arapahoe Basin is joining the Ikon Pass clan for the upcoming season after severing its relationship with the Epic Pass this year. — John Meyer, The Know, "Arapahoe Basin is joining the Ikon Pass after leaving Epic Pass this year," 2 Aug. 2019 Days ahead of Trump’s official launch of his re-election on Tuesday, the campaign is severing its relationship with Brett Lloyd, Mike Baselice and Adam Geller while keeping pollsters Tony Fabrizio and John McLaughlin. — The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Trump campaign cutting ties with three members of polling team after grim numbers leaked," 16 June 2019 China faces a ratcheting up of tariffs soon, and its tech giant, Huawei, has been severed from its American suppliers. — The Economist, "America is deploying a new economic arsenal to assert its power," 6 June 2019 At the scene, crime tape blocked off a severed Kia Optima in the grass near Chef Discount Market. — Olivia Prentzel, nola.com, "7 people injured, 2 critically, in crash along Chef Menteur Highway: EMS," 6 June 2019 After the stunts drew widespread attention, Disney's Maker Studios and YouTube severed business ties with him. — NBC News, "Top YouTuber PewDiePie cancels $50,000 pledge to Anti-Defamation League, calls it 'mistake'," 13 Sep. 2019 Gallagher also severed ties with UAP, which helps fund legal costs for service members, and asked the organization to stop using his photo and case in its fundraising efforts. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Navy SEAL acquitted of war crimes files lawsuit against ex-lawyers and military legal nonprofit," 13 Sep. 2019 Acknowledging the threat, FedEx severed its domestic shipping ties with Amazon last month. — Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, "How Amazon Hooked America on Fast Delivery While Avoiding Responsibility for Crashes," 5 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sever.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about sever

Dictionary Entries near sever

seven-year apple

Statistics for sever

Last Updated

25 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for sever

The first known use of sever was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for sever

sever

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sever

: to cut off (something) : to remove or separate (something) by cutting

: to end (a relationship, connection, etc.) completely

See the full definition for sever in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sever

sev·er | \ ˈse-vər

\

severed; severing

Kids Definition of sever

: to cut off … the sword … severed the tip of his tail.— Brian Jacques, Redwall

sever

transitive verb

sev·er | \ ˈse-vər

\

severed; severing

Legal Definition of sever

1 : to end (a joint tenancy) by ending one or all of the unities of time, title, possession, or interest (as by conveying one tenant's interest to another party)

2 : to separate (as a contract) into different parts (as independent obligations) in order to treat each separately

3a : to try (criminal offenses or defendants) separately in order to avoid prejudice

b : to split (a criminal trial) into multiple trials in order to avoid prejudice

c : to try (civil claims or issues pleaded in the same case) separately

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

gambit

a calculated move

Test Your Vocabulary

Confusing Words—A Quiz

I invented a brand new toaster robot and ______ it "Sir Toasts-a-Lot."

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.