1
a
: at a little distance
tried to keep apart from the family squabbles
b
: away from one another in space or time
towns 20 miles apart
2
a
: as a separate unit : independently
Viewed apart, his arguments were unsound.
b
: so as to separate one from another
I found it hard to tell the twins apart.
3
: excluded from consideration : aside
A few blemishes apart, the novel is excellent.
4
: in or into two or more parts : to pieces
coming apart at the seams
see also take apart
Synonyms
Examples of apart in a Sentence
Adverb
He stood with his feet planted far apart.
He stood apart while the other members of the team celebrated.
Their children were born two years apart.
My wife and I are unhappy when we're apart.
They separated and have been living apart for the past year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
Kansas City-area homes belonging to Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into hours apart and burglarized last month, according to authorities and police reports.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2024
But oxygen can arise from other processes: Sunlight could break apart water in the planet’s atmosphere, for example.
—Elise Cutts, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for apart 
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Adverb
As her mother attempts to keep them apart, Tita pours all of her repressed feelings into her sumptuous cooking.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
Kansas City-area homes belonging to Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were broken into hours apart and burglarized last month, according to authorities and police reports.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Since 2005, the Savage Stone Quarry has mined a mineral called Baltimore gabbro, which is used for road beds, riprap and airport runways, by blasting apart chunks of rock in a large open pit, situated between Interstate 95 and Route 1.
—Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2024
But oxygen can arise from other processes: Sunlight could break apart water in the planet’s atmosphere, for example.
—Elise Cutts, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for apart
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Dictionary Entries Near apart
Cite this Entry
“Apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apart. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apart
1 of 2 adverb1
: away from each other
five miles apart
2
: as something separate
viewed apart from the other
3
: in or into two or more parts
took the clock apart
4
: one from another
can't tell the twins apart
apart
2 of 2 adjective
: separate from others
in a place apart
apartness
noun
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