as in separating
to set or force apart
disapproving parents who were willing to do anything to sever the young lovers
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Recent Examples of severing
Tang said this can be attributed to the fact that a doctor is severing a blood vessel that is situated between the uterus and the ovary.
—
Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 15 May 2026
That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.
—Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
The Sheriff is already dealing with challenges, including Deerfield Beach breaking away to form its own police and fire units, and Pembroke Park severing its police ties.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Judge Thomas Lyons, presiding judge of the Law Division, granted a motion from the city of Chicago to split the trial in two, severing the claims of negligent hiring by the city from the allegations around the shooting by Officer Eric Stillman.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
In October, Patel said the bureau was severing its ties with SPLC, following escalating complaints from conservatives and prominent Trump allies.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The Jeep struck a semaphore pole, severing the vehicle in two.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Chinese vessels have been caught secretly severing undersea communication cables in Taiwan’s waters.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
After watching his ball go into the bunker, the LIV golfer then attacked a nearby water cooler, severing the head of the club from its shaft.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 15 May 2026
That department is severing ties with those 14 club teams, which UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said also include men’s crew, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, kickline, polo, running, sailing, ski, tap and woodsmen.
—Katie Servas, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
The Sheriff is already dealing with challenges, including Deerfield Beach breaking away to form its own police and fire units, and Pembroke Park severing its police ties.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Judge Thomas Lyons, presiding judge of the Law Division, granted a motion from the city of Chicago to split the trial in two, severing the claims of negligent hiring by the city from the allegations around the shooting by Officer Eric Stillman.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
In October, Patel said the bureau was severing its ties with SPLC, following escalating complaints from conservatives and prominent Trump allies.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The Jeep struck a semaphore pole, severing the vehicle in two.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
Chinese vessels have been caught secretly severing undersea communication cables in Taiwan’s waters.
—Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
After watching his ball go into the bunker, the LIV golfer then attacked a nearby water cooler, severing the head of the club from its shaft.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for severing
Verb
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The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
17 May 2026
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The nation’s tradition of separating church and state, however, was not on display.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Some look at wide areas of the sky to do surveys, while others pinpoint specific targets; some take images, while others take spectra, dividing the incoming light into different energies (or colors, wavelengths or frequencies, all of which are different terms for essentially the same thing).—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
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This time, the administration is dividing more families by greater distances than before, by expelling parents without their children, en masse.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The membrane will also find applications beyond fuel cells, where it could be used for splitting water, reducing carbon dioxide, and synthesizing ammonia.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
18 May 2026
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Rehearsals took four months, with Kubicek splitting his days between the three participating schools.—
Jeff Miller,
Rolling Stone,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Features like front and rear locking differentials and a disconnecting front stabilizer bar help the truck crawl over obstacles that would challenge most pickups.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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There are several natural gas marketers in the state, but the commission said Atlanta Gas Light is still responsible for the pipelines and connecting and disconnecting service.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Severing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/severing. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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