sunder
verb
sun·der ˈsən-dər 
sundered; sundering ˈsən-d(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
: to break apart or in two : separate by or as if by violence or by intervening time or space
intransitive verb
: to become parted, disunited, or severed
Synonyms
- break up
- decouple
- disassociate
- disconnect
- disjoin
- disjoint
- dissever
- dissociate
- disunite
- divide
- divorce
- part
- ramify
- resolve
- separate
- sever
- split
- uncouple
- unlink
- unyoke
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a family sundered by scandal during the cold war East and West Berlin were sundered by an impenetrable wall
Recent Examples on the Web But Wu worries that Beijing’s anger toward Pelosi’s visit may sunder the delicate connections between Taiwan’s business and political elite and mainland leaders. 
Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 According to the WeChat users group, Trump’s Aug. 6 order would sunder the primary and often exclusive channel many U.S. residents use to communicate with family and friends in both China and the U.S. Edvard Pettersson, Bloomberg.com, 16 Sep. 2020 Cherry told other stories from that time: affairs, gruesome deaths, hearts sundered by grief. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2019 During that time friendships have been sundered, garments rended, pearls clutched and block buttons exhausted. Eamon Lynch, Golfweek, 4 Feb. 2020 The glow faded when the Iraq war sundered Mr Blair from the French and the Germans. The Economist, 15 Aug. 2019 The unprotected noticed, and began to sunder their relationship with establishments and elites. Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 14 Feb. 2019 These practices were sundered with the ascension of Donald J. Trump to the presidency. New York Times, 3 July 2018 Bob Corker and Lindsey Graham are working on an alternative that would send a message to the Saudis without sundering the relationship. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018 See More
Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 According to the WeChat users group, Trump’s Aug. 6 order would sunder the primary and often exclusive channel many U.S. residents use to communicate with family and friends in both China and the U.S. Edvard Pettersson, Bloomberg.com, 16 Sep. 2020 Cherry told other stories from that time: affairs, gruesome deaths, hearts sundered by grief. D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2019 During that time friendships have been sundered, garments rended, pearls clutched and block buttons exhausted. Eamon Lynch, Golfweek, 4 Feb. 2020 The glow faded when the Iraq war sundered Mr Blair from the French and the Germans. The Economist, 15 Aug. 2019 The unprotected noticed, and began to sunder their relationship with establishments and elites. Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 14 Feb. 2019 These practices were sundered with the ascension of Donald J. Trump to the presidency. New York Times, 3 July 2018 Bob Corker and Lindsey Graham are working on an alternative that would send a message to the Saudis without sundering the relationship. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 Dec. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English gesundrian, syndrian; akin to Old High German suntarōn to sunder, Old English sundor apart, Latin sine without, Sanskrit sanutar away
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
sundering 1 of 2
noun
as in dissolution
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces the sundering of the nation by bloody civil war Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- dissolution
- split
- breakup
- separation
- schism
- partition
- division
- cleavage
- scission
- bifurcation
- disunion
- dispersion
- rupture
- fractionalization
- fractionation
- dispersal
- severance
- divorce
- dismemberment
- decomposition
- breach
- polarization
- segregation
- scattering
- distribution
- subdivision
- disassembly
- isolation
- atomization
- diffusion
- segmentation
- administration
- apportionment
- dichotomization
- sequestration
- seclusion
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- union
- unification
- association
- connection
- attachment
- assemblage
- conjunction
- linkage
- link
- consolidation
- fusion
- combination
- aggregation
- linkup
sundering
2 of 2verb
as in separating
to set or force apart during the cold war East and West Berlin were sundered by an impenetrable wall Synonyms & Similar Words
- separating
- dividing
- splitting
- disconnecting
- severing
- parting
- disjoining
- disuniting
- ramifying
- resolving
- divorcing
- decoupling
- disjointing
- uncoupling
- dissociating
- unlinking
- detaching
- cleaving
- isolating
- pulling
- disassociating
- dissolving
- disintegrating
- dissevering
- unyoking
- dissecting
- fragmenting
- breaking up
- decomposing
- subdividing
- tearing
- rending
- fracturing
- ripping
- disassembling
- unraveling
- breaking
- partitioning
- rupturing
- bifurcating
- fractionating
- halving
- dichotomizing
- bisecting
- quartering
- rifting
- segmenting
- trisecting
- breaking down
- fragmentating
- riving
- segregating
- disengaging
- insulating
- untying
- fractionalizing
- disentangling
- cutting off
- sequestering
- secluding
- fragmentizing
- untieing
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- joining
- uniting
- linking
- mixing
- combining
- connecting
- mingling
- coupling
- unifying
- blending
- assembling
- binding
- closing
- associating
- cementing
- fusing
- attaching
- welding
- fastening
- sticking
- accumulating
- knitting
- agglutinating