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 cleaves
Consider the unending angst about the team’s former name, which still cleaves fans into opposing camps.
—
David Aldridge, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The barrier not only separates two empires and ideologies, but cleaves the psyches of the characters themselves.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
David Aldridge, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The barrier not only separates two empires and ideologies, but cleaves the psyches of the characters themselves.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cleaves
Verb
-
Painting indoors during the winter can be a productive way to refresh your space, but temperature and indoor conditions play a major role in how well the paint adheres and dries.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Based on a true story, the novel adheres remarkably to the facts.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Empty out the old soil and use a stiff brush to get rid of any soil that clings to the inside or outside of the container.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Journalism, my beloved profession, still clings to the virtues of distance and detachment.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Progress sticks when compassion ensures that everyone gets heard.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But this is not the substance of the speech that sticks.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cleaves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cleaves. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
