1
as in divides
to set or force apart
we tried to separate the gluey pages, but they were stuck tight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parts
to go or move in different directions from a central point
the searchers separated in order to cover more ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in classifies
to arrange or assign according to type
separate the students by reading ability
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in isolates
to set or keep apart from others
separated the injured calf from the herd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in differentiates
to understand or point out the difference in
trying to separate science from religion on one specific point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of separates
Asked what separates him from Donalds, Collins didn’t directly say.
—
Shauna Muckle, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Across the country, communities are experiencing an escalation of militarized immigration enforcement that spreads fear, separates families and violates basic constitutional norms.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
What separates the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori from others is his ability to cover any of the five eligible receivers on any play, while also setting the edge against tight ends in the run game and knifing into the backfield to take down runners.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
What separates Trump from many of his predecessors is not an appetite for war, but a refusal to tolerate endless gray zones.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The situation had only worsened on a more recent visit last month when a South Asian version of the 38th Parallel that separates the two Koreas had been imposed on the border separating the two countries.
—Vijay Dandapani, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
In fact, Singer Island was once the north end of Palm Beach, until dredging created an inlet that separates the two island.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
What separates toxic ambition, for you, from the simple act of wanting something and trying to get it?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026
The design will retain the outdoor sculpture garden, but the garden would include a new free-to-all arts education center and reading room, and the tall steel fencing that now separates the garden from the public along El Prado and near the Old Globe theater campus would be removed.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Shauna Muckle, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Across the country, communities are experiencing an escalation of militarized immigration enforcement that spreads fear, separates families and violates basic constitutional norms.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
What separates the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori from others is his ability to cover any of the five eligible receivers on any play, while also setting the edge against tight ends in the run game and knifing into the backfield to take down runners.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
What separates Trump from many of his predecessors is not an appetite for war, but a refusal to tolerate endless gray zones.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The situation had only worsened on a more recent visit last month when a South Asian version of the 38th Parallel that separates the two Koreas had been imposed on the border separating the two countries.
—Vijay Dandapani, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
In fact, Singer Island was once the north end of Palm Beach, until dredging created an inlet that separates the two island.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
What separates toxic ambition, for you, from the simple act of wanting something and trying to get it?
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2026
The design will retain the outdoor sculpture garden, but the garden would include a new free-to-all arts education center and reading room, and the tall steel fencing that now separates the garden from the public along El Prado and near the Old Globe theater campus would be removed.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separates
Verb
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On the other side of the great river that divides them, the Republic of the Congo has led a somewhat less eventful existence.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Continue reading … DIVIDED HALLS – Johnson insists US 'not at war' after closed-door Venezuela briefing divides lawmakers.—
,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The department classifies Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger under its highest Level 4 advisory, warning Americans about issues of terrorism, crime, kidnapping, and more.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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The machine learning algorithm, meanwhile, classifies and identifies stationary objects that could lead to collisions.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The standing side crunch isolates each side of your waist and strengthens your obliques.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
31 Dec. 2025
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Far from being mere idle chit-chat, small talk proves to be an invaluable ally in cultivating social health—a precious virtue in a world where hyperconnection increasingly isolates us from one another.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The new policy also further differentiates Oceania from its luxury sister line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, which still welcomes travelers under 18, the website Cruise Critic noted.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This dual demand profile differentiates silver from gold, creating different price dynamics.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to Harper's Bazaar, the royal family splits their time between the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen and the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace, located on the island of Zealand in Denmark.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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Clarke, whose splits and underlying numbers were dominant again, set up Fiala for two shot attempts, the second of which generated a rebound and created a scramble.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.—
Julia Nikhinson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The text thus distinguishes between the court and the chief judge.—
James M. McGuire,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Nursing left off the professional degree list Under the new law, the Department of Education created a classification system that distinguishes professional from nonprofessional graduate degrees.—
Kymberlee Montgomery,
The Conversation,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In Israel, the literary world censors, silences, distorts, segregates and thus collaborates with the atrocities perpetrated in Gaza.—
Uriel Kon
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
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This core-mantle boundary segregates two very different geologic realms.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Separates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separates. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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