divorce 1 of 2

noun

Definition of divorcenext
as in breakup

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

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
Purple Heart Park moved to the US at age 7, traveling alone from South Korea after his parents’ divorce to join his mother in Miami. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 The pair announced their separation in 2017 and finalized their divorce in 2019. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
Dunbar married Ivy Holmes in 2003; they got divorced three years later. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 Madrigal will play Dan, James’ divorced best friend whose plans for single life are derailed by James and Jeanie’s impulsive wedding. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 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
  • Then there are the affair-and-breakup songs, tunes where someone is searching for something better, like young musicians heading west to get famous.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But a drumbeat of doubt began in Elwood’s head in 2010 on a tour of Sarajevo, where Bosnian-Serb forces had committed atrocities during the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of breakup
Verb
  • Kazan writes the entire series, sharing one co-writing credit with Alexander Chee for Episode 6, while Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre split directorial duties.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The season brings back the franchise’s ‘Cutthroat’ format, splitting 24 competitors into three teams battling for a share of $500,000.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of split
Noun
  • Tymon Brown, the Gravel Institute’s head of production, said that the nonprofit’s dissolution was never explained to him or the rest of the organization.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In the following centuries, Norway didn't have a king of its own until Harald's grandfather, Haakon VII, was elected king following the 1905 dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissolution
Verb
  • The team analyzed the corridor over the long term and used seasonal-trend decomposition using LOESS, a statistical method that helped separate seasonal fluctuations from longer-term settlement.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The bridge connects two settlements in a valley in northwest Rwanda that are separated by the river.
    — Fatma Tanis, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of separate
Noun
  • While snobbery and name-dropping dominate, Nora’s feeling of alienation is tempered by her crush on associate editor Thomas (Joshuah Melnick) who, though only slightly older, seems to know everything about piloting the scene.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • All three CEOs understood implicitly that prior alienation of primary points of customer contact are more destructive than any mere marketing campaign can fix.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of alienation
Verb
  • The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.
    — Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Essentially a form of computational fluid dynamics, the simulation divides the flow passages into a very large number of tiny regions and calculates things such as velocity, pressure, turbulence, and temperature throughout the component.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of divide
Noun
  • The staff would have to begin to go even sooner than the shareholders; Fried Frank, in its presentation, estimated between $20 and $24 million in severance and $75 million in union termination.
    — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For the length of the severance period, the departing executives will be entitled to healthcare at employee rates.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of severance
Verb
  • Tourists come here, disconnect themselves, go off into one little corner and think that’s the country.
    — Josh Rivera, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And, often, the material is so technical that it is disconnected from real-world use, leading to even less engagement and retention.
    — Jason Corso, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of disconnect

Browse Nearby Words

divisions
divorce
divorced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Divorce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/divorce. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on divorce

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about divorce

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