1
as in dividing
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 parting
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 classifying
to arrange or assign according to type
separate the students by reading ability
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in isolating
to set or keep apart from others
separated the injured calf from the herd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of separating
As the vehicle was carried into a wash north of West Main Street, it was overtaken by floodwaters, separating Aguilera-Padilla and Xavier, who had managed to exit the vehicle.
—
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Though he was stationed at the fryer, Saft organized the stockroom on his own time, separating sauces from Happy Meal toys.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
There’s not much separating this and Destroyed in quality, but a lot in tone – the sets and colors of Monster From Hell are much more muted, aiding the rich sense of melancholy throughout.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
For face makeup such as foundation or concealer, that might mean potentially separating (on your skin or in the bottle) and pilling on your skin, which is a less-than-desirable look.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
As the global market for secondhand luxury items surges, authentication has become the defining factor separating credible platforms from the rest.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
The Adam Edström-Sam Carrick-Rempe line has been excellent in the bottom six, so separating them feels like a mistake.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Trudeau went through a public split of his own in 2023, separating from estranged wife Sophie Gregoire.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
People had trouble separating the bubble from the level of innovation.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Though he was stationed at the fryer, Saft organized the stockroom on his own time, separating sauces from Happy Meal toys.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
There’s not much separating this and Destroyed in quality, but a lot in tone – the sets and colors of Monster From Hell are much more muted, aiding the rich sense of melancholy throughout.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
For face makeup such as foundation or concealer, that might mean potentially separating (on your skin or in the bottle) and pilling on your skin, which is a less-than-desirable look.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
As the global market for secondhand luxury items surges, authentication has become the defining factor separating credible platforms from the rest.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
The Adam Edström-Sam Carrick-Rempe line has been excellent in the bottom six, so separating them feels like a mistake.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Trudeau went through a public split of his own in 2023, separating from estranged wife Sophie Gregoire.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
People had trouble separating the bubble from the level of innovation.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for separating
Verb
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Discussions have been held about dividing Madrid’s football operations from their business operations and letting speculators invest in the latter — although how (or if) that would work in practice is a moot point.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Needless to say, its overload of ideas — all rooted in reality, and true to the moment — did not land to universal praise, dividing audiences in the way that big, experimental films often tend to on the Riviera.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That was one guest’s parting words to another, after Tuesday night’s dinner for the inaugural Tom Wolfe Prizes for Fiction & Reportage at the Waverly Inn.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
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His teammates gave him parting gifts – two-run home runs from Hyeseong Kim and Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani’s 55th homer of the season – and sent Kershaw out a winner for the 223rd time as the Dodgers finished their regular-season schedule with a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Related Stories In a nutsell, the test arranged by the cutter’s union documented that AI tools are great for organizing, classifying and summarizing.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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Cal Fire updated Saratoga’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map in June, classifying some southwestern portions of the city as moderate or high fire hazard zones.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Caregiving is too hard and too isolating to do it on your own.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
18 Oct. 2025
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The patient required hospitalization and is now isolating and recovering at home.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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He was credited with elevating the revenues, profits and image of Macy’s West, successfully differentiating it from regional department store competitors, and evolving Macy’s private labels into private brands, with in-store shops, professional sales associates and full-price marketing.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
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Others echoed that sentiment while differentiating human creativity from automation.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While all this is going on, the rest of the gang is splitting up to find Marie and warn her about Annabeth’s nightmare-premonition of her bloodied, motionless body.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
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After calling it quits with Reggie Bush — the pair first broke up in 2009 due to busy schedules, then got back together briefly before splitting for good in 2010 — Kim was very single.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a joint interview, Allen and Moretz spoke with Them about the work of taking a character like Maddie from page to stage, and about diverging from traditional trans narratives to tell a new kind of family story.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
21 Oct. 2025
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The pandemic shined an intense spotlight on the diverging fortunes of video games and Hollywood.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But in a market where definitional confusion obscures risk and competitive tensions drive narratives, distinguishing signal from noise is increasingly critical and difficult.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
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Skye herself has almost no distinguishing characteristics besides her fragile state and propensity for terrible decisions, especially as the investigation around her boyfriend’s death kicks into gear.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Separating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/separating. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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