as in parting
to go or move in different directions from a central point
the road forks up ahead and you'll want to take the right fork
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Recent Examples of forking
On the industry side, Focus closed the biggest deal, with our colleague Anthony D’Alessandro reporting the studio was forking out upwards of $15M on the horror flick Obsession from YouTuber Curry Barker.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
As the grand prize has climbed, so too has the number of participants forking over $2 per ticket for a chance to win the life-altering jackpot.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
By comparison, forking over what could be a mortgage payment in the form of rent each month is akin to throwing money away.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Cats, while often viewed as aloof and independent, still need playtime, but before forking over hundreds of dollars for toys, one pet parent shared in a Reddit thread that some of the least expensive toys work out the best.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The Dawn of Semipublic Schools Parents who are forking over hefty sums so that their children can attend a private school will likely soon find their schools are semipublic institutions subsidized by federal school choice dollars — and more expensive in the bargain.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
That requires forking over grocery money from whatever is left of the cash Trumplandia is mainlining from kids’ dinner plates to the Billionaire Boys Club.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
As the grand prize has climbed, so too has the number of participants forking over $2 per ticket for a chance to win the life-altering jackpot.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
By comparison, forking over what could be a mortgage payment in the form of rent each month is akin to throwing money away.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2025
Cats, while often viewed as aloof and independent, still need playtime, but before forking over hundreds of dollars for toys, one pet parent shared in a Reddit thread that some of the least expensive toys work out the best.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The Dawn of Semipublic Schools Parents who are forking over hefty sums so that their children can attend a private school will likely soon find their schools are semipublic institutions subsidized by federal school choice dollars — and more expensive in the bargain.
—Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
That requires forking over grocery money from whatever is left of the cash Trumplandia is mainlining from kids’ dinner plates to the Billionaire Boys Club.
—Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forking
Verb
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Brighton & Hove Albion are poised to name Jason Ayto as sporting director after parting company on Friday with technical director David Weir.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Kuwahara and Fox/Bento Box are said to be parting on good terms, with both the exec and the company opting not to renew his contract.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some state public health officials have decided to make their own vaccine recommendations, diverging from the CDC for the first time in its 80-year history.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
22 Sep. 2025
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This last year has seen diverging paths among nations in their energy policies, but a global point of agreement is that nuclear power is no longer an optional, but rather critical component of the Ai future and this 4th Industrial Revolution.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As much as Jones has tried to downplay it, the relationship between him and Parsons was a notable factor in the sides’ separating.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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The Reds and Mets both have an 80-76 record with six games to play; the only thing currently separating the two teams in the race for the National League’s final wild card spot is Cincinnati’s head-to-head tiebreaker.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average list price, which would mean taking the sum of all listing prices then dividing by the number of homes sold.—
USA TODAY Network,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Sep. 2025
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This amount is expressed by dividing the share price by the company’s earnings per share to get the price-to-earnings ratio.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Firefighters are mopping up Monday after an early morning fire engulfed a railcar on Roseville Road in North Sacramento before spreading to a towing yard and knocking out power to nearby customers.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
22 Sep. 2025
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Hari said friends immediately contacted him asking whether his prior visa status could complicate his ability to travel, underscoring the uncertainty spreading quickly through immigrant circles.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forking. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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