divorce 1 of 2

noun

Definition of divorcenext
as in breakup

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divorce

2 of 2

verb

as in to split
to set or force apart in your head you need to divorce your wishes and fantasies from the realities of the world as it is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divorce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of divorce are divide, part, separate, sever, and sunder. While all these words mean "to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed," divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

When is divide a more appropriate choice than divorce?

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

civil war divided the nation

When is it sensible to use part instead of divorce?

While the synonyms part and divorce are close in meaning, part implies the separating of things or persons in close union or association.

vowed never to part

When could separate be used to replace divorce?

In some situations, the words separate and divorce are roughly equivalent. However, 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 sever be used instead of divorce?

The synonyms sever and divorce are sometimes interchangeable, but sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

In what contexts can sunder take the place of divorce?

While in some cases nearly identical to divorce, 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 divorce
Noun
Major filed for divorce in 2018 and petitioned for custody of their two children, Landon and Logan. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025 Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024 and asked that Affleck be dropped from her name. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
Sheen and Richards were married in 2002 and divorced four years later. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2025 While Fulton never married, her son has been married and divorced three times and Shibata is Nicolas' fifth wife. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divorce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divorce
  1. breakup
  2. split
  3. dissolution
  4. separate
  5. alienation
  6. divide
  7. severance
  8. disconnect
Noun
  • The duo got engaged in October 2023 and shocked fans with their October 2024 breakup.
    — Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
  • In an interview with USA TODAY last year ahead of their breakup, Kravitz opened up about filming with Tatum and growing in their relationship.
    — Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of breakup
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
  • Monahan was a Bristol native who currently split his time between Burlington and Florida.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of split
Noun
  • Ukrainians are a good-humored, industrious and resourceful people who finally achieved independence in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, precipitated by the aggressive stance against communism by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run begins with the band’s founding in 1971—with Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, and Denny Seiwell—and is organized around their nine albums, including the 1973 staple Band on the Run, on through to their dissolution in 1981.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of dissolution
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
  • What separates the brief pullbacks from the more significant drawdowns usually comes down to whether prices are able to hold important support levels after the initial drop.
    — David Keller, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of separate
Noun
  • What emerged was a consistent narrative of fear, stress, and alienation that follows them into the workplace and is thriving in the online culture surrounding video games.
    — Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Either way, there is little doubt that near-term impacts would be felt due to fan alienation and a souring by sponsors, potentially enough to garner a downgrade by Fitch.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of alienation
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of divide
Noun
  • Somewhere else, another woman is taking advantage of the obliviousness inherent to severance.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Employees who are being laid off will still receive severance payments and post-employment benefits.
    — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Definition of severance
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
Definition of disconnect

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Cite this Entry

“Divorce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divorce. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on divorce

Nglish: Translation of divorce for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about divorce

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