split

When something splits, it divides into separate sections. It’s also common to use "split" when forming groups of people, or when a relationship breaks up.

• Jennifer and her husband, Charles, are going to split up. (They’re getting a divorce.)
• The teacher split the class up into four groups. Each group had five people in it.
• When Rhonda and Mary went out for lunch, they split the bill in half. (Each person paid half)
• Rescuers split up into several groups as they searched for survivors of the avalanche.
• Bags of rice were split among the people who came to pick them up.
• You can split a log in half by using an axe.

Use an axe to split a log.

There are some other interesting ways to use this word:

• When George bent over, he split his pants. (A large tear appeared in the seat.)
• After this next song, let’s split. (split = leave; go somewhere else.)
• A new split-level home is being built in our neighborhood. (split-level home = four or five different levels)
• Terry ordered a banana split when she went to Dairy Queen. (A banana split is vanilla ice cream with chocolate, pineapple, and strawberry toppings. There’s a banana split in half on either side of the ice cream.)

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This page was first published on March 18, 2013. It was updated on February 28, 2017.