1
as in to split
to set or force apart
Volunteers divided the donated groceries into several dozen piles.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to separate
to go or move in different directions from a central point
The group divided based on those who wanted to go swimming and those who didn't.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to polarize
to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups
Opinions about the war divided people who are otherwise likeminded.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dispute
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in rise
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of divide
Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
This digital-physical divide could also create unfair advantages for tech-savvy companies while leaving traditional retailers behind.
—Aradhna Krishna, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Though ideology divides, there are clear areas of unity upon which to build corporate culture including a unified desire for companies to invest in local communities and drive local economic development.
—Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divide
Verb
The political divide has become so wide and entrenched that everything is fodder for dimwitted outrage.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025
This digital-physical divide could also create unfair advantages for tech-savvy companies while leaving traditional retailers behind.
—Aradhna Krishna, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
Overall, the survey found consumers deeply divided on most hot-button issues, ranging from the government’s COVID-19 response to the #MeToo movement to the death of Charlie Kirk.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Though ideology divides, there are clear areas of unity upon which to build corporate culture including a unified desire for companies to invest in local communities and drive local economic development.
—Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for divide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divide
Verb
-
In a rare example of agency for a beneficiary community, 21 emerging Indigenous leaders recently crafted selection criteria, evaluated applicants and picked two dozen finalists to split a pool of $720,000.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The dying relative, Mitch explained, was willing to take the fall for Scott’s killing; then someone else would turn him in, claim the reward money, and split it with them.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
One idea that has already been discussed internally would see Real Madrid being effectively split into two different entities — separating the football side from the business side.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
One particularly aggressive military style raid on an apartment building in south Chicago saw dozens arrested and children separated from their parents.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Musk later cited the pay dispute as part of the reason why Tesla shifted its corporate home to Texas from Delaware.—
Kara Carlson,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Here’s how a community dispute escalated into a deadly tragedy.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Su’s rise to Olympic champion is no accident.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Panels during the interim study recess don’t normally draw a large crowd, but this month’s panels on public safety, sea level rise and the economy, and fisheries and aquaculture drew larger crowds.—
Kate Wolffe
October 17,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The front sink was blocked by waste and the ware wash sink was disconnected from the drain pipe.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Some destinations lend themselves particularly well to disconnecting.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Both women wore their hair parted down the center and in subtle waves that fell past their shoulders.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Under the trees was dense foliage that occasionally parted to reveal a bird, langur, or cheetal, which reassured him in the stillness of the empty road.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This invisible, climate-polluting gas can escape into the water through fissures in the sea floor, often revealing itself with a stream of bubbles weaving their way up to the ocean surface.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Johanon's remarks centered on the fissures in society.—
Detroit Free Press staff,
Freep.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Gregerson’s shows her at the peak of her signature tercets, weaving together the microscopic and the grand threads of science, art, and history into wonderfully rich sonic landscapes.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The band members credit their love for music for saving them from connecting with the wrong crowd in the '90s, when gang violence was at its peak on the city's east side, which was a popular destination for immigrants.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Divide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divide. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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