Meaning & use
cleave
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveliterary
To split or cut something apart with force, usually along a natural line, using a heavy blade.
Grammar: Takes an object (cleave the log) or stands alone (the rock cleaved).
Patterns
- cleave something in two
- cleave through something
The axe cleaved the log cleanly in two.
A great crack cleaved the ice from end to end.
The ship cleaved the waves as it sailed on.
verbintransitiveformalliterary
To stay attached or loyal to a person, belief or idea, even in difficulty.
Grammar: No object; always followed by to: cleave to a promise.
Patterns
- cleave to someone
- cleave to something
She cleaved to her faith through the hardest years.
The villagers cleaved to old customs despite the changes.
He cleaved to his friends when others turned away.
Word forms
| third person singular | cleaves |
|---|---|
| past tense | cleaved, clove or cleft |
| past participle | cleaved, cloven or cleft |
| -ing form | cleaving |
Common combinations
- cleave in two
- A bolt of lightning cleaved the tree in two.
- cleave to
- Many people cleave to tradition at festivals.
- cleave through
- The sharp blade cleaved through the bone.
- cleave apart
- The war cleaved the country apart.
- cleave unto
- The old vow says to cleave unto one another.
Synonyms and how they differ
- split
- Split is the everyday word for dividing, while cleave suggests a forceful, clean cut and sounds literary.
- sever
- Sever means to cut off completely, often a connection, while cleave stresses dividing along a line.
- cling
- Cling means to hold tightly, whereas cleave to adds a sense of loyalty and is older in tone.
- adhere
- Adhere describes sticking to a surface or a rule, and is more neutral than cleave to.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: cleave or cleaver? cleave or clever?
cleave vs cleaver
A cleaver is the tool, a heavy knife, not the action or quality.
cleave vs clever
Clever means smart and has no connection with splitting.
Practice
Which meaning of cleave is used in: He cleaved to his principles despite the pressure?
Choose one answer.
Cleave to means stay faithful. The splitting sense of cleave takes an object and has no to.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cleave”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.