Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb sever

2 senses of sever

Sense 1
sever, break up -- (set or keep apart; "sever a relationship")
       => separate, disunite, divide, part -- (force, take, or pull apart; "He separated the fighting children"; "Moses parted the Red Sea")

Sense 2
discerp, sever, lop -- (cut off from a whole; "His head was severed from his body"; "The soul discerped from the body")
       => cut -- (separate with or as if with an instrument; "Cut the rope")