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
In response to howls of protest, the commission has agreed to a 180-day moratorium on severing the ties with PBS.
—
Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Beyond the energy shocks, Birol said the war is severing ties to some of the vital arteries of the global economy by disrupting other critical supply chains.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Nearly 70 years ago, Robert Moses took a sledgehammer to the Bronx, severing New York City’s only mainland borough and poisoning our neighborhoods for his Cross Bronx Expressway.
—Gustavo Rivera, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
The panel was leaning toward convicting Murillo on all charges in connection with the incident, which saw the now former detective fire a volley of bullets at a fleeing suspect, Nicholas Carrillo, severing his spine.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Health care reform should make care easier to access, not harder, and strengthen relationships between patients and providers rather than severing them.
—Scott Suckow, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
For Asfura, who campaigned on severing ties with Beijing, there’s more to untangle.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
How will severing Special Day Class programs from their current school communities impact those students?
—Randy Ribay, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
After severing the large roots, use a mattock or shovel to loosen soil for easier removal.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Beyond the energy shocks, Birol said the war is severing ties to some of the vital arteries of the global economy by disrupting other critical supply chains.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Nearly 70 years ago, Robert Moses took a sledgehammer to the Bronx, severing New York City’s only mainland borough and poisoning our neighborhoods for his Cross Bronx Expressway.
—Gustavo Rivera, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
The panel was leaning toward convicting Murillo on all charges in connection with the incident, which saw the now former detective fire a volley of bullets at a fleeing suspect, Nicholas Carrillo, severing his spine.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Health care reform should make care easier to access, not harder, and strengthen relationships between patients and providers rather than severing them.
—Scott Suckow, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
For Asfura, who campaigned on severing ties with Beijing, there’s more to untangle.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
How will severing Special Day Class programs from their current school communities impact those students?
—Randy Ribay, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
After severing the large roots, use a mattock or shovel to loosen soil for easier removal.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severing
Verb
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One thing to keep in mind is that the bathrooms are open-concept, flowing into the bedroom and living area with no door separating the sink/vanity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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And the optimization discipline to match it —Agentic Web Optimization — is already separating winners from the rest.—
Aviv Shamny,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The subsequent deterioration in embryos that had been in microgravity for up to 24 hours was likely due to negative effects the absence of gravity has on the processes taking place in the quickly dividing embryonic cells.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Republicans are pushing to expel her from Congress, potentially dividing Democrats ahead of November midterm elections.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Consider both carefully, then, before getting started, and explore the pros and cons of splitting your funds between both to best determine your next step.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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The map’s boundaries slice through Kansas City, splitting the city’s voters into three Republican-leaning districts in the hopes of pushing Cleaver out of office.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The emails ask the user to take some kind of action, such as disconnecting or locking their vault.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
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House Bill 1002 offers multiple solutions, including automatically placing residential ratepayers on budget billing and prohibiting utilities from disconnecting low-income customers’ services during periods with extreme heat warnings.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severing. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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