Synonym Chooser

How is the word sever distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of sever are divide, divorce, part, separate, and sunder. While all these words mean "to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed," sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

When might divide be a better fit than sever?

The synonyms divide and sever are sometimes interchangeable, but divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

When is it sensible to use divorce instead of sever?

The meanings of divorce and sever largely overlap; however, divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

When could part be used to replace sever?

In some situations, the words part and sever are roughly equivalent. However, part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

When would separate be a good substitute for sever?

The words separate and sever are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When can sunder be used instead of sever?

While in some cases nearly identical to sever, sunder suggests violent rending or wrenching apart.

a city sundered by racial conflict

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 sever With family chains severed and few left to remember the dead, the cemetery became a forest. Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2025 Two years ago, a cable between Taiwan and Matsu Island was severed. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 Private sector employment relationships may be severed in numerous ways. Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025 The puncture wound acts like a torn muscle, because whatever punctured me severed the muscle. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sever
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sever
Verb
  • The January Starship mishap occurred over the North Atlantic after the 171-foot (52-meter) Starship separated from the Super Heavy rocket booster that hauled it toward space.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025
  • This unique body of water, which separates Melbourne from the barrier island of Melbourne Beach, is incredibly biodiverse.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • For decades afterward and until the advent of internet telephony, Druze families divided by the armistice lines who wanted to communicate with one another did so via megaphone in an area that came to be known as Shouting Hill.
    Uriel Heilman, New York Daily News, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Primary care has long been associated with the image of a busy doctor, divided between patients and the administrative grind.
    Stephen Wunker, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The game is split into night and day cycles, where the danger of the journey melts into campfire talk at night and exchanging stories with other travelers.
    Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The Lionsgate Studios and Starz will soon split into two stand-alone companies.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Minor-league sports have become popular as an antidote to the moneyed juggernaut of global franchises, which can seem disconnected from the intimacy that made so many of us fans in the first place.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2025
  • The individual stories that play out in each level are disconnected from the overarching narrative of the game.
    Kyle Wilson, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Curio Legacy Ventures, Inc., a nuclear energy startup headquartered in Washington, DC, has set out to resolve all those dilemmas.
    Jim Vinoski, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • In resolving antitrust claims, the settlement could spawn conflicts with state laws as well as with other federal laws, including Title IX, labor and employment laws.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sever.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sever. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sever

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!