sever
Divide by cutting
Sever means to cut or break apart, especially with force or finality.
A sword severs a limb.
An accident severs a cable.
The word often appears in figurative contexts: They severed ties with the company, The scandal severed his connection to the party.
To sever a relationship is to end it completely and often permanently.
Severance or reduction
- slicePortion cut off
- cleaveSplit or adhere
- bisectDivide into two equal portions
- amputateSurgically remove a limb
carve · chop · slit · slash · gash · incise · lacerate · truncate
To break a connection
- estrangementEmotional separation between people
- alienationState of being isolated
- riftCrack or estrangement
- schismFormal organizational fracture
breach · split · divorce · disunite · break · rupture · falling-out · dissolution
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- shockingCausing intense surprise
- swiftMoving with speed
immediate · precipitous · clean · decisive · final · irrevocable · permanent · complete
Savagely harsh or severe
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
- mercilessShowing no clemency
- ruthlessLacking any compassion
- coldLow temperature state
heartless · callous · unsparing · pitiless · drastic · extreme · irreversible
Surgical limb removal
- scalpelPrecise surgical knife
- incisionControlled cut into tissue
- operationProcess of working
- resectionSurgical tissue removal
suture · ligature · surgeon · dissection · hemostasis · clamps · sterile · tourniquet
cut
Severance or reduction
amputate · carve · chop · slit · slash · gash · incise · lacerate · truncate · shear
disconnect
To break a connection
- estrangementEmotional separation between people
- alienationState of being isolated
- riftCrack or estrangement
schism · breach · split · divorce · disunite · break · rupture · falling-out · dissolution · detachment
sudden
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- shockingCausing intense surprise
swift · immediate · precipitous · clean · decisive · final · irrevocable · permanent · complete · total
brutal
Savagely harsh or severe
cold · heartless · callous · unsparing · pitiless · drastic · extreme · irreversible
amputation
Surgical limb removal
resection · suture · ligature · surgeon · dissection · hemostasis · clamps · sterile · tourniquet · prosthetic
- split offbreak up, spinoff, spin-off, detach, divide
- cuttingslicing, slice, chopping, dice, dicing
- destruction verbsdestroy, demolish, wreck, ruin, smash
- disconnectingdetaching, disconnect, disengaging, detach, disconnecting
- separatesort, filter, sift, divide, split
- separationsieving, straining, divide, filtration, split
- severe weatherDangerous atmospheric phenomena
- severe painAcute physical distress
- severed headRemoved cranium, detached
- severance packageCompensation upon job termination
- severe thunderstormIntense storm with lightning
- severing tiesEnding a relationship completely
severe, several, severity, severed, severance, severing, severs, severest, dissever