Synonym Chooser

How is the word sunder distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of sunder are divide, divorce, part, separate, and sever. While all these words mean "to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed," sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.

a city sundered by racial conflict

When is it sensible to use divide instead of sunder?

The words divide and sunder can be used in similar contexts, but divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

When would divorce be a good substitute for sunder?

The words divorce and sunder are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

When can part be used instead of sunder?

The synonyms part and sunder are sometimes interchangeable, but part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

When is separate a more appropriate choice than sunder?

Although the words separate and sunder have much in common, separate may imply any of several causes such as dispersion, removal of one from others, or presence of an intervening thing.

separated her personal life from her career

Where would sever be a reasonable alternative to sunder?

The meanings of sever and sunder largely overlap; however, sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sunder Is Theodor Kramer’s poem another means of exploring the way ordinary life can suddenly be sundered? Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2024 Political disputes have sundered families ‒ some siblings are no longer talking ‒ and heartless or thoughtless social media posts can bring people to tears. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024 In the months before Oct. 7, Israeli society was sundered by his support of right-wing legislation diminishing the power of the Supreme Court. Eric Cortellessa/jerusalem, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024 Dissonant brass chords sundered the hall’s warm air like lightning. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for sunder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sunder
Verb
  • Senate Republicans are trying to divide Democrats on Thursday with a vote that would pay government workers deemed essential who are working without pay during the shutdown.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • In the trailer, Whitney drops the bomb that she is set to start her own MomTok, as the group continues to be divided.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The game at Paycom Center was a tight affair, with very little to separate the two teams.
    Ben Morse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But during their kiss, police swooped in to clear the crowd and wound up separating McSweeney from her kissing partner.
    Diane J. Cho, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Atlanta scored first on a 38-yard field goal from Parker Romo, but that came after Huff and Sam Okuayinonu split a third-down sack to minimize a 19-play, 10 ½-minute drive.
    Cam Inman, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Bigger than Alaska and Texas combined, West Antarctica is split from the eastern half of the continent by the Transantarctic Mountains, whose peaks are buried to their chins in ice.
    Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Failing to install the device, or disconnecting or tampering with it, could result in a $600 fine or six months in jail.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The tension first reached a breaking point years earlier when her sister severed ties with their dad’s extended family.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025
  • His instinct, in other words, was to treat science as severed from politics.
    Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sunder. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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