as in separating
to set or force apart
disapproving parents who were willing to do anything to sever the young lovers
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Recent Examples of severing
Pashinyan also repeatedly sought to soothe those fearful of severing ties with Russia, Armenia’s historical protector.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2026
The longtime firefighter fell while in the water, and the tip of the foil wing sliced his neck, severing his trachea, according to initial reporting on the incident from Hawaii News Now.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Baroni said the IronBirds’ move from minor league baseball to the MLB Draft League, severing the team’s tie to the local major league club and ensuring top Orioles prospects will no longer go through Aberdeen, has not affected fan or sponsorship interest.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 3 June 2026
Then came the collapse of the Assad regime, in Syria, severing the land route long used by Hezbollah to transport rockets, antitank missiles, and precision-guidance systems from its Iranian patron.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Cook County Judge Thomas Lyons, presiding judge of the Law Division, granted a motion from the city of Chicago to split the trial in two, severing the claims of negligent hiring by the city from the allegations around the shooting by Officer Eric Stillman.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Loro Piana has reaffirmed its commitment to improving its supply chain auditing, severing ties with suppliers found in violation of its agreements, as did Valentino and Giorgio Armani.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Tang said this can be attributed to the fact that a doctor is severing a blood vessel that is situated between the uterus and the ovary.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 15 May 2026
That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.
—Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2026
The longtime firefighter fell while in the water, and the tip of the foil wing sliced his neck, severing his trachea, according to initial reporting on the incident from Hawaii News Now.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
Baroni said the IronBirds’ move from minor league baseball to the MLB Draft League, severing the team’s tie to the local major league club and ensuring top Orioles prospects will no longer go through Aberdeen, has not affected fan or sponsorship interest.
—Taylor Lyons, Baltimore Sun, 3 June 2026
Then came the collapse of the Assad regime, in Syria, severing the land route long used by Hezbollah to transport rockets, antitank missiles, and precision-guidance systems from its Iranian patron.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Cook County Judge Thomas Lyons, presiding judge of the Law Division, granted a motion from the city of Chicago to split the trial in two, severing the claims of negligent hiring by the city from the allegations around the shooting by Officer Eric Stillman.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
Loro Piana has reaffirmed its commitment to improving its supply chain auditing, severing ties with suppliers found in violation of its agreements, as did Valentino and Giorgio Armani.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
Tang said this can be attributed to the fact that a doctor is severing a blood vessel that is situated between the uterus and the ovary.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 15 May 2026
That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.
—Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severing
Verb
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Storm forecasts on the horizon Hundreds or even thousands of shooting stars may be seen burning through Earth's skies each hour during one of these intense meteor storm events, though the distance separating micrometeoroids in space would still likely be measured on the order of miles.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
7 June 2026
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Every month, the site drops new fashion finds, but for the untrained eye, separating the newness from the nostalgia is no small feat.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
Verb
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In Topawa, guests visit the Tohono O’odham Cultural Center to learn how the desert’s original stewards have flourished for millennia despite the modern line dividing their ancestral lands.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Today’s wealthy are increasingly dividing their fortunes between multiple advisors based on their specialties, rather than relying on one or two trusted firms.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Explore both options carefully, then, and don't discount the advantages of splitting your funds among both accounts, too.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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The case made its first emergency trip to the Supreme Court in February, 2022, when the Justices, splitting 5–4 (Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberals), overturned the lower court’s order and granted Alabama’s request that elections proceed that year under the discriminatory map.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
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If the shortage lasts too long, protective systems begin disconnecting parts of the grid to stop a wider collapse.—
Sufan Jiang,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
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Activities and Entertainment Having a backyard campout is the perfect excuse for disconnecting from the digital world and spending uninterrupted time with friends and family.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severing. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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