Synonyms of separating

separating

verb

present participle of separate

1

as in dividing

to set or force apart

we tried to separate the gluey pages, but they were stuck tight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dividing
• splitting
• disconnecting
• severing
• resolving
• isolating
• divorcing
• pulling
• parting
• detaching
• dissociating
• disassociating
• decoupling
• dissecting
• sundering
• subdividing
• uncoupling
• ramifying
• decomposing
• disuniting
• disjointing
• disjoining
• dissolving
• fragmenting
• breaking up
• unlinking
• cleaving
• tearing
• dissevering
• unyoking
• disintegrating
• segregating
• segmenting
• ripping
• partitioning
• fractionating
• disassembling
• bisecting
• bifurcating
• breaking
• halving
• dichotomizing
• quartering
• fracturing
• breaking down
• insulating
• rupturing
• rending
• unraveling
• secluding
• fragmentating
• sequestering
• disentangling
• fragmentizing
• disengaging
• trisecting
• cutting off
• fractionalizing
• riving
• untying
• rifting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• linking
• joining
• mixing
• combining
• uniting
• connecting
• blending
• assembling
• mingling
• associating
• unifying
• coupling
• attaching
• closing
• binding
• sticking
• accumulating
• cementing
• fusing
• welding
• fastening
• knitting
• agglutinating

2

as in parting

to go or move in different directions from a central point

the searchers separated in order to cover more ground

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dividing
• parting
• diverging
• retreating
• spreading
• forking
• branching (out)
• scattering
• dispersing
• distributing
• dissipating
• dispelling
• disbanding
• broadcasting
• distancing
• sowing
• receding
• clearing out
• bestrewing
• breaking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joining
• converging
• meeting
• assembling
• gathering

3

as in classifying

to arrange or assign according to type

separate the students by reading ability

Synonyms & Similar Words

• classifying
• distinguishing
• relegating
• ranking
• grouping
• distributing
• placing
• sorting
• categorizing
• typing
• grading
• identifying
• organizing
• classing
• recognizing
• codifying
• filing
• compartmentalizing
• ranging
• digesting
• assorting
• listing
• pegging
• referring
• disposing
• ordering
• alphabetizing
• breaking down
• compartmenting
• systematizing
• cataloging
• culling
• arraying
• indexing
• marshaling
• shelving
• sifting
• sieving
• winnowing
• drawing up
• regrouping
• reclassifying
• clumping
• pigeonholing
• clustering
• screening
• setting
• colligating
• recategorizing
• subcategorizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lumping
• scrambling
• mixing (up)
• confusing
• jumbling
• disarranging
• misclassifying
• missorting
• mistyping

4

as in isolating

to set or keep apart from others

separated the injured calf from the herd

Synonyms & Similar Words

• isolating
• segregating
• removing
• restraining
• insulating
• sequestering
• cutting off
• confining
• secluding
• keeping
• quarantining
• detaching
• restricting
• incarcerating
• holding
• disengaging
• jailing
• abstracting
• locking (up)
• detaining
• interning
• immuring

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• integrating
• connecting
• linking
• joining
• uniting
• associating
• assimilating
• reintegrating
• desegregating
• freeing
• releasing
• discharging
• liberating
• loosing

5

as in differentiating

to understand or point out the difference in

trying to separate science from religion on one specific point

Synonyms & Similar Words

• differentiating
• distinguishing
• discriminating
• discerning
• differencing
• dividing
• secerning
• understanding
• severing
• knowing
• comprehending
• demarcating
• contradistinguishing
• grasping
• marking (off)
• parting
• setting off

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mixing (up)
• confusing
• mistaking
• mingling
• confounding
• lumping (together)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of separating

Life opened like a zipper, separating them painfully at first, notch by notch, then faster, wider, until the garment lay split in two. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

The new factory trades Farley said the line separating skilled trades from engineering is increasingly hard to see inside newer auto plants. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026

One political row has made the Foundation consider separating the Pavilion section’s two programs. — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Traversing the country with Abyss Despite nearly 2,500 miles separating their hometown and Aftershock’s host town, Traverse the Abyss is traveling on wheels, not wings, to Sacramento. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Mining, refining, separating rare earths, and turning them into usable metals and magnets are all technically demanding processes. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026

But the choice was criticized by supporters of France’s strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

France is a traditionally Catholic country, but adheres to a strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Regarding regulation, Aykac told Sourcing Journal that the difficult part is separating the technology itself from how it is being used. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Sep. 2026