separate

1 to set or force apart we tried to separate the gluey pages, but they were stuck tight Synonyms break up, decouple, disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke Related Words break down, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, dissolve; bifurcate, bisect, cleave, dichotomize, dissect, fractionalize, fractionate, halve, partition, quarter, segment, subdivide, trisect; fragment, fragmentate, fragmentize; break, fracture, pull, rend, rift, rip, rive, rupture, tear; cut off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester; detach, disengage, disentangle, unravel, untie Near Antonyms assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix; connect, couple; accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weld Antonyms join, link, unify, unite

2 to go or move in different directions from a central point the searchers separated in order to cover more ground Synonyms branch (out), diverge, divide, fork, part, spread Related Words bestrew, break up, broadcast, clear out, disband, dispel, disperse, dissipate, distribute, scatter, sow; distance, recede, retreat Near Antonyms assemble, gather, meet Antonyms converge, join

3 to arrange or assign according to type separate the students by reading ability Synonyms assort, break down, categorize, class, codify, compartment, compartmentalize, digest, distinguish, distribute, grade, group, peg, place, range, rank, relegate, classify, sort, typeRelated Words array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, systematize; alphabetize, catalog (or catalogue), file, index, list, refer; pigeonhole, shelve; identify, recognize; cull, screen, set, sieve, sift, winnow; clump, cluster, colligate; recategorize, reclassify, regroup; subcategorizeNear Antonyms confuse, disarrange, jumble, lump, mix (up), scramble; misclassify, missort, mistype

4 to set or keep apart from others separated the injured calf from the herd Synonyms cut off, insulate, seclude, segregate, isolate, sequesterRelated Words quarantine; confine, immure, incarcerate, intern, jail, lock (up), restrain, restrict; abstract, detach, disengage, remove; detain, hold, keepNear Antonyms assimilate, associate, connect, join, link, unite; discharge, free, liberate, loose, releaseAntonyms desegregate, integrate, reintegrate

5 to understand or point out the difference in trying to separate science from religion on one specific point Synonyms difference, differentiate, discern, discriminate, secern, distinguishRelated Words contradistinguish; comprehend, grasp, know, understand; divide, part, sever; demarcate, mark (off), set offNear Antonyms confound, lump (together), mingleAntonyms confuse, mistake, mix (up)