bifurcates

verb

present tense third-person singular of bifurcate
as in subdivides
formal to undergo division into two parts The stream bifurcated into two narrow winding channels.

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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 bifurcates While designing the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, in the 1990s, the architect would sit by the river that bifurcates the city, looking at different metal treatments. — Belinda Luscombe, Time, 6 Dec. 2025 For example, Highway 17 currently bifurcates a piece planners hope to lock in through Los Gatos. — San Francisco Chronicle, 30 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bifurcates
  1. divides
  2. separates
  3. splits
Verb
  • Backups Lan Larison, Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery worked apart from Maye and the top three backs during a walkthrough 11-on-11 period that, in a regular-season setting, usually divides the starters from the scout-teamers.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But today’s Court often divides along stark ideological lines, and the liberals often sound truly distraught in their dissents.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of divides
Verb
  • The Bose Smart Ultra soundbar separates different aspects of sound such as the music, dialogue, and effects into various areas in the room to make your audio sound more immersive.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Jones, a state senator, points to his record in Tallahassee as what separates him from the rest of the field.
    — Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of separates
Verb
  • Rather than one long conveyor, Ford is using a new assembly tree process that splits the vehicle into three sections — front clip, rear clip, and battery deck — which enables better access so more operators can work on the vehicle at the same time.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Haynes launched a successful coaching program and now splits her time between houses in Palm Coast and Tampa.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of splits

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Cite this Entry

“Bifurcates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bifurcates. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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