1
as in separating
to set or force apart
volunteers divided the donated groceries into several dozen piles
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diverging
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dividing
The encounter, captured on video, quickly gained international attention, dividing those who believed the zoo was in the right to kill Harambe for the child's safety, and others who found the act inhumane.
—
Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2026
By 1997, Ultimate Fighting began to join more conventional combat sports in dividing fighters into weight classes, for safety’s sake.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The False Comfort Of The Status Quo With firewalls in place, VLANs dividing the network and perimeter defenses monitoring network traffic, security and business leaders often believe their current controls are enough to hold attackers at bay until the next investment cycle.
—Jaushin Lee, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Perhaps with patience and practice, conversations like these can build empathy, promote compromise and begin to disassemble the walls dividing us.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
The rare move underscores how Washington’s policies toward the region are increasingly dividing the 15-member bloc, which has long prided itself on being a unified force.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
The practice session ended with players running sprints before dividing back into a full-team period while the offense ran half-speed run plays.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
Make a small patio feel larger by dividing it into zones.
—Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026
Keep everything fair by dividing into new teams for each round.
—Robin Westen, Parents, 21 May 2026
Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2026
By 1997, Ultimate Fighting began to join more conventional combat sports in dividing fighters into weight classes, for safety’s sake.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
The False Comfort Of The Status Quo With firewalls in place, VLANs dividing the network and perimeter defenses monitoring network traffic, security and business leaders often believe their current controls are enough to hold attackers at bay until the next investment cycle.
—Jaushin Lee, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Perhaps with patience and practice, conversations like these can build empathy, promote compromise and begin to disassemble the walls dividing us.
—Lisa Pavia-Higel, The Conversation, 27 May 2026
The rare move underscores how Washington’s policies toward the region are increasingly dividing the 15-member bloc, which has long prided itself on being a unified force.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026
The practice session ended with players running sprints before dividing back into a full-team period while the offense ran half-speed run plays.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
Make a small patio feel larger by dividing it into zones.
—Jenny Hughes, The Spruce, 25 May 2026
Keep everything fair by dividing into new teams for each round.
—Robin Westen, Parents, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dividing
Verb
-
The security perimeter kept demonstrators at a distance from the facility, with barricades and checkpoints separating roughly 100 protesters from the detention center.—
Adam Reiss,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
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Historical memory is hugely helpful in separating false promises from sincere innovation, and that should make living legends ideal for steadying progress.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Verb
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In contrast with many previous drafts, there is diverging thought as to what the team will do.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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The election has also underscored two sharply diverging visions for the future of peace in a country marked by years of conflict.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The four-time NBA champion had partnered with Under Armour for 13 years before splitting in November last year.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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Another common mistake is splitting up speaking time based on role.—
Chiara Alzati,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Lemieux had looked good just days before, walking through fans parting in the Bell Centre concourse.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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And the plan involves parting ways with businesses that have been in the bank’s portfolio for decades, such as retail banking in Russia, China, and Mexico.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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If the shortage lasts too long, protective systems begin disconnecting parts of the grid to stop a wider collapse.—
Fangxing Fran Li,
The Conversation,
27 May 2026
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Gen Alpha is reportedly disconnecting from social media and the internet.—
Esha Chhabra,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Haiti continues to stand before far larger powers — culturally, economically, politically — without retreating.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The video appears to show a person standing with a snow shovel outside the house, near the street, then retreating toward the house and tossing the shovel into the yard.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dividing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dividing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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