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
Tammy Wynette and George Jones may have gotten a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, but the crooning duo had a hard time severing ties for good.
—
Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
Save money by severing relationships.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The study found that severing ties with BSO could save the city more than $500 million over the next 20 years.
—Carlton Gillespie, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
One of the biggest barriers to drones is electronic warfare, which disables drones by severing their connection with the user.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
According to the hospital, the heavy equipment tore away large portions of skin from her scalp and neck, completely severing her ear along with the surrounding tissue.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
On Friday, HandCraftedMarketCLT shared a statement, joining other businesses in severing ties with Sycamore.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Dec. 2025
Prosecutors in Finland accused the crew of a Cook Islands–flagged tanker of dragging an anchor for more than 50 miles and severing infrastructure, though a Finnish court later dismissed the case, ruling national law did not apply.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Dec. 2025
While some parasitic queens in other ant species kill the host queen directly — often by severing limbs or biting the throat — that approach is risky.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
Save money by severing relationships.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The study found that severing ties with BSO could save the city more than $500 million over the next 20 years.
—Carlton Gillespie, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2026
One of the biggest barriers to drones is electronic warfare, which disables drones by severing their connection with the user.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
According to the hospital, the heavy equipment tore away large portions of skin from her scalp and neck, completely severing her ear along with the surrounding tissue.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
On Friday, HandCraftedMarketCLT shared a statement, joining other businesses in severing ties with Sycamore.
—Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 12 Dec. 2025
Prosecutors in Finland accused the crew of a Cook Islands–flagged tanker of dragging an anchor for more than 50 miles and severing infrastructure, though a Finnish court later dismissed the case, ruling national law did not apply.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Dec. 2025
While some parasitic queens in other ant species kill the host queen directly — often by severing limbs or biting the throat — that approach is risky.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severing
Verb
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The backpack itself is crafted from a durable, water-resistant, anti-abrasion material, and includes a wet pocket for separating damp items or dirty laundry.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
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This was such a tedious process that Saint Ignatius College Prep had its own recycling club that mainly involved spending Fridays after school sitting on a classroom floor and separating the recyclables the school had generated throughout the week.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As the sector transitions from the initial brute-force stage of training large models to the challenge of running them affordably and efficiently on a large scale, designers are dividing into rival factions.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Through the deal, Authentic is dividing Guess’s IP and operations, with Authentic owning 51% of the IP.—
Hilary Milnes,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of installing the usual front dinette, Eiffeland moves the unit to the center of the van, splitting the bed and kitchen areas with a two-seat transverse dinette set.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Jan. 2026
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While the House passed the DHS bill separately from the rest of the bills, they were all tied together into one bill to be sent to the Senate, meaning the majority of Republicans would need to support splitting the bill up.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Simple preventive steps like disconnecting hoses, covering faucets, insulating pipes, and knowing how to shut off water can help homeowners avoid emergencies altogether.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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That includes taking time off, disconnecting after hours and using breaks during the workday to reset and recharge.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severing. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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