sunders
Rips into pieces
Sunders means breaks apart or separates forcibly.
The word is literary and old-fashioned, appearing most often in the phrase torn asunder.
To sunder a relationship or bond is to sever it completely: War sundered families that had lived side by side for generations.
The word suggests violent or permanent division rather than gentle parting.
Individual elements of whole
- dividesSeparates into parts
- splitsDivides into parts
- seversCuts completely through
- cleavesSplits or adheres
rends · disjoins · disconnects · detaches · dissociates · estranges · alienates · isolates
parts
Individual elements of whole
cleaves · rends · disjoins · disconnects · detaches · dissociates · estranges · alienates · isolates · segregates
tears
Violent pulls apart
cracks · snaps · breaks · shatters · splinters · fragments · disintegrates · crumbles · pierces · perforates
divides
Separates into parts
- polarizesCauses sharp division
- estrangesCauses emotional separation
- alienatesCauses emotional withdrawal
fragments · splinters · disaffiliates · disunites · bifurcates · fractures · breaks · rifts · divorces · separates