severed; severing
ˈse-və-riŋ 
ˈsev-riŋ
: to put or keep apart : divide
especially
: to remove (something, such as a part) by or as if by cutting
: to become separated
Synonyms
Examples of sever in a Sentence
He severed the lowest tree limbs.
His finger was severed in the accident.
Activists are asking the government to sever all diplomatic relations with the country.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Crew shot his wife in 1982, while an accomplice severed her head.
—
Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
Legislation must outlaw ransom payments, severing a critical funding stream for cyberterrorists and criminals.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
What the people close to him know is that part of why Mark became severed is to escape the grief of losing his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman) — but more on her later.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 10 Jan. 2025
With Chinese ships suspected to have cut key undersea communications cables around the world, a Newsweek review of Chinese-language patent applications shows that engineers in China invented devices to sever such cables quickly and cheaply.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sever 
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Sharon Bernstein, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025
Legislation must outlaw ransom payments, severing a critical funding stream for cyberterrorists and criminals.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
What the people close to him know is that part of why Mark became severed is to escape the grief of losing his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman) — but more on her later.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 10 Jan. 2025
With Chinese ships suspected to have cut key undersea communications cables around the world, a Newsweek review of Chinese-language patent applications shows that engineers in China invented devices to sever such cables quickly and cheaply.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sever
Dictionary Entries Near sever
Cite this Entry
“Sever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sever. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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Legal Definition
sever
transitive verb
sev·er
ˈse-vər
severed; severing
1
: to end (a joint tenancy) by ending one or all of the unities of time, title, possession, or interest (as by conveying one tenant's interest to another party)
2
: to separate (as a contract) into different parts (as independent obligations) in order to treat each separately
3
a
: to try (criminal offenses or defendants) separately in order to avoid prejudice
b
: to split (a criminal trial) into multiple trials in order to avoid prejudice
c
: to try (civil claims or issues pleaded in the same case) separately
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