as in splits
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces
the cleavages of an egg as an embryo develops
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Recent Examples of cleavages
The cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco has made a career of rescuing history from the cleavages of memory.
—
Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Intelligence agencies in the United States and other Western countries closely follow these cleavages, of course, and can sometimes recruit the disaffected or the ambitious to provide insider information.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Intelligence agencies in the United States and other Western countries closely follow these cleavages, of course, and can sometimes recruit the disaffected or the ambitious to provide insider information.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleavages
Noun
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There are other splits by gender, race and education that stood out.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Files with 100 to 180 grit are ideal for shaping and shortening gel, acrylic, or press-on nails, while medium grit (around 180 to 220) is better for shaping natural tips—without causing splits or tears.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Flower lovers of all skill levels can enter the show with divisions ranging from horticulture and floral design to youth and photography.—
Martina Schimitschek,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Chait began his career in LAUSD classrooms teaching kindergarten before becoming a principal and later superintendent of the district’s then-Local District Northeast, one of the regional divisions that oversaw school communities across Northeast Los Angeles and parts of the San Fernando Valley.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There could be more dissolutions and consolidations in the future.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
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The drama that sometimes follows their dissolutions speaks to a broader uncertainty in the air about how gay couples should be.—
Paul McAdory,
Them.,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In ten booths, separated by cinder-block partitions, inmates could chat with visitors through glass while seated at metal counters.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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The Mission patients were separated from other patients only by plastic partitions, according to the CMS records.—
Andrew Jones,
CNN Money,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Vulnerability is earned, which is why your deepest fears, details of your past breakups, or tender quirks that make you you should be reserved for people who deserve it.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Mar. 2026
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The first season explored the group moving in together, launching a fashion line, go on vacation in Miami, deal with health problems and startup issues and breakups.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There are still some trustbusters in the administration, especially at the FTC, which has avoided being pulled into messy lobbyist fights and White House schisms.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The fracturing of the television audience parallels the schisms in America’s political culture, with viewers and voters increasingly sheltering in partisan echo chambers.—
Karrin Vasby Anderson,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The six separations can be taken to include three sets of prohibitions.—
Cass Sunstein,
Big Think,
5 Mar. 2026
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Wisconsin had the second-highest number of total job separations in the country in December.—
Ricardo Torres,
jsonline.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleavages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleavages. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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