divide 1 of 2

1
2
as in to separate
to go or move in different directions from a central point The group divided based on those who wanted to go swimming and those who didn't.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to polarize
to cause (people) to break up into opposing groups Opinions about the war divided people who are otherwise likeminded.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

divide

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word divide distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of divide are divorce, part, separate, sever, and sunder. While all these words mean "to become or cause to become disunited or disjointed," divide implies separating into pieces or sections by cutting or breaking.

civil war divided the nation

In what contexts can divorce take the place of divide?

The words divorce and divide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, divorce implies separating two things that commonly interact and belong together.

cannot divorce scientific research from moral responsibility

When can part be used instead of divide?

While in some cases nearly identical to divide, 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 divide?

In some situations, the words separate and divide 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 might sever be a better fit than divide?

The words sever and divide can be used in similar contexts, but sever implies violence especially in the removal of a part or member.

a severed limb

When is sunder a more appropriate choice than divide?

While the synonyms sunder and divide are close in meaning, 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 divide
Verb
As the seasons shift, the divide between tropical Gulf air and cooler Canadian air usually moves farther south across the United States, the weather service said. Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025 Why the Few Break Through The small group of companies crossing the divide share some common traits. Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
With three generations living cheek by jowl, the drama that plays out serves as a magnifying glass on the family itself as well as wider society in a vibrant but divided Berlin. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Ratification conventions in three of the most critical states – Massachusetts, New York and Virginia – were narrowly divided; ratification hung in the balance. Donald Nieman, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for divide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for divide
Verb
  • In a rare example of agency for a beneficiary community, 21 emerging Indigenous leaders recently crafted selection criteria, evaluated applicants and picked two dozen finalists to split a pool of $720,000.
    Fortune, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The dying relative, Mitch explained, was willing to take the fall for Scott’s killing; then someone else would turn him in, claim the reward money, and split it with them.
    Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Just when things appeared to cool down and players were separated, another skirmish occurred near the bleachers.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Tocchet tried playing the two of them together in camp, in practices and in the preseason games, but separated them for the final preseason game and for Monday’s practice.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Payment of the penalty isn’t required until after the dispute resolution process is complete, a state spokesperson said.
    Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Other refinements could include a dispute resolution mechanism and a joint task force to assess project viability.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That same headbanging energy has defined her steady, albeit unconventional, political rise.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement The rise in flu cases around the continent, as well as outbreaks in Europe earlier this year, have led some medical experts to warn that influenza may be evolving to spread more quickly or earlier than typical in some regions.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • If time permits, lock your home upon departure and disconnect utilities and appliances.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
  • If time allows, disconnect utilities and appliances.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Both women wore their hair parted down the center and in subtle waves that fell past their shoulders.
    Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Under the trees was dense foliage that occasionally parted to reveal a bird, langur, or cheetal, which reassured him in the stillness of the empty road.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • This invisible, climate-polluting gas can escape into the water through fissures in the sea floor, often revealing itself with a stream of bubbles weaving their way up to the ocean surface.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Johanon's remarks centered on the fissures in society.
    Detroit Free Press staff, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Gregerson’s shows her at the peak of her signature tercets, weaving together the microscopic and the grand threads of science, art, and history into wonderfully rich sonic landscapes.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The band members credit their love for music for saving them from connecting with the wrong crowd in the '90s, when gang violence was at its peak on the city's east side, which was a popular destination for immigrants.
    NPR, NPR, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Divide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divide. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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