asunder
adverb or adjective
Charles Dickens
Did you know?
To get to the root of today’s word, it helps to take it apart and focus on the sunder. You see, asunder comes from the verb sunder, which means "to break apart" or "to become parted, disunited, or severed." Both words come from the Old English word sundor, meaning "apart." The adverbial "into parts" sense of asunder is often used in the phrase "tear asunder," which can be used both literally (as in "fabric torn asunder") and, more often, figuratively (as in "a community torn asunder by the dispute"). The adjectival "apart from each other" sense can be found in the phrase "poles asunder," used to describe two things that are as vastly far apart as the poles of the Earth.
Examples of asunder in a Sentence
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Feb. 2026
There's just a pervasive sense of loss, of lives torn asunder for no particular reason, and a cast highly adept at delivering these punches.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Communities torn asunder: Palisades, Altadena, Malibu, Pasadena.
—Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The world of customer-service sketch TikTok has been torn asunder after it was discovered that Hannah Brown (not that Hannah Brown) attended Kirk’s memorial service.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for asunder
Cite this Entry
“Asunder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asunder. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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asunder
adverb or adjective
