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
Israeli ground troops have razed residential buildings while airstrikes have hit multiple bridges severing vital routes between southern Lebanon and the north.
—
Npr Staff, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Several strikes hit the suspension bridge yesterday, severing a key new route under construction between Tehran and the city of Karaj, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing a local security official.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Saldívar then pulled out her gun and shot the singer in the back, severing an artery.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead of severing contact, John and Carolyn get closer.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Npr Staff, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
Several strikes hit the suspension bridge yesterday, severing a key new route under construction between Tehran and the city of Karaj, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing a local security official.
—Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Saldívar then pulled out her gun and shot the singer in the back, severing an artery.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Instead of severing contact, John and Carolyn get closer.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severing
Verb
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Some omelets are made lighter by separating the yolks and whites, beating up the latter, and folding in the former.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
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Adept at separating the unseen from the seen, Lemann here chronicles his family’s accumulation of wealth, whatever the moral costs or compromises, and their subsequent acculturation and partial deracination.—
Brenda Wineapple,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first, a, is obtained by dividing the year number by 19 and calculating the remainder.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
4 Apr. 2026
-
This was due to the fact that there were so many credible Democrats dividing the 65% to 70% of voters who at least lean left.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There’s a shaded patio out there that just begs for long, slow lunch or brunch visits, or splitting a rib-eye steak Diane at night.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The pair were arguing when the passenger punched the victim in the face, splitting his lip, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The moratorium, passed on an emergency basis and in a divided vote, would prevent Pepco from disconnecting customers’ electricity for nonpayment of bills totaling less than $1,000.—
Meagan Flynn,
Washington Post,
31 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Severing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severing. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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