sunder

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