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 debate within the Democratic coalition is already bigger and louder, dividing moderates in swing states from progressives elated by Mamdani's rocket to victory in the nation's largest city.
—
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
One was a real human blastocysts, which contain about 100 to 200 rapidly dividing cells.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Stay focused to avoid dividing your effort among needless minutiae.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Lego’s latest invention — its biggest in half a century, the company says — is dividing fans over its tech integration.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Officers saw multiple bullet holes on the metal fence dividing the properties and shell casings in his backyard, the affidavit said.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
When properly implemented, segregation of duties helps prevent errors, fraud and oversight by dividing responsibilities among different individuals.
—Nancy Pulciano, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2026
The plan, officials said, is to spread these rooms across two floors, dividing the patient population by age.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
The singer's annual holiday clip is dividing fans this year.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Susan Page, USA Today, 12 Jan. 2026
One was a real human blastocysts, which contain about 100 to 200 rapidly dividing cells.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Stay focused to avoid dividing your effort among needless minutiae.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2026
Lego’s latest invention — its biggest in half a century, the company says — is dividing fans over its tech integration.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Officers saw multiple bullet holes on the metal fence dividing the properties and shell casings in his backyard, the affidavit said.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
When properly implemented, segregation of duties helps prevent errors, fraud and oversight by dividing responsibilities among different individuals.
—Nancy Pulciano, Rolling Stone, 2 Jan. 2026
The plan, officials said, is to spread these rooms across two floors, dividing the patient population by age.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
The singer's annual holiday clip is dividing fans this year.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dividing
Verb
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The backpack itself is crafted from a durable, water-resistant, anti-abrasion material, and includes a wet pocket for separating damp items or dirty laundry.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
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This was such a tedious process that Saint Ignatius College Prep had its own recycling club that mainly involved spending Fridays after school sitting on a classroom floor and separating the recyclables the school had generated throughout the week.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nearly six years later, the gap between the top and bottom of the K is still diverging.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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That encounter didn’t resolve the deep differences, but did produce an agreement to set up a working group — on whose purpose Denmark and the White House then offered sharply diverging public views.—
Emma Burrows,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Everybody assumed that splitting the country album category in two was a reaction to Beyoncé winning best country album last year.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
20 Jan. 2026
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The research, published in Nature Geoscience, showed that polymetallic nodules can act like natural batteries, splitting seawater into oxygen and hydrogen.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Love, give me lips and noses, skin parting tangy skin.—
Carson Colenbaugh,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
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Daedone persuaded the swelling ranks of OM enthusiasts, givers and receivers alike, to join an experiment in communal living, gradually parting them from their wealth and autonomy.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lewis Hamilton has always valued disconnecting from the Formula One world over its winter break.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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The dangers of disconnecting Leaving the money to be handled by one spouse leaves your family vulnerable.—
Douglas A. Boneparth, CFP,
CNBC,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The pact also included staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.—
David R. Martin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Gosling has a way of retreating into a silence more emotionally eloquent than the film’s occasionally clunky dialogue.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dividing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dividing. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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