break up, part, split, split up, separate, break - discontinue an association or relation; go different ways; "The business partners broke over a tax question"; "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage"; "My friend and I split up"

compartmentalise, compartmentalize, cut up - separate into isolated compartments or categories; "You cannot compartmentalize your life like this!"

polarise, polarize - cause to concentrate about two conflicting or contrasting positions

keep apart, sequestrate, set apart, isolate, sequester - set apart from others; "The dentist sequesters the tooth he is working on"

disjoin, disjoint - make disjoint, separated, or disconnected; undo the joining of

disarticulate, disjoint - separate at the joints; "disjoint the chicken before cooking it"

disconnect - make disconnected, disjoin or unfasten

cut - separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope"

tear - to separate or be separated by force; "planks were in danger of being torn from the crossbars"

joint - separate (meat) at the joint

gin - separate the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin

break - separate from a clinch, in boxing; "The referee broke the boxers"

sever, break up - set or keep apart; "sever a relationship"

rupture, tear, snap, bust - separate or cause to separate abruptly; "The rope snapped"; "tear the paper"

move, displace - cause to move, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense; "Move those boxes into the corner, please"; "I'm moving my money to another bank"; "The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant"