# asunder

/əˈsəndɝ/ (US) · /ɐsˈʌndɐ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/asunder
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

apart or broken into separate pieces. You use it when something is torn or pulled into two parts.

For teachers: apart into separate pieces, typically by force or tearing. Survives chiefly in literary use and fixed expressions such as 'tear asunder'.

## Examples

- The storm tears the old roof asunder.
- The divorce lawyers watch as years of shared plans are torn asunder in a single afternoon.
- After the earthquake, the once-unbroken road lay asunder, its cracked halves hinting at how quickly familiar ground can split.

## Synonyms

apart

## Antonyms

together

## Usage notes

- Typically follows verbs of breaking, tearing, or dividing, as in 'tear asunder'.

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