Meaning & use
cleave
To split or divide something forcefully, or, in an opposite sense, to stick or remain firmly attached to something.
See it in a sentence
The axe cleaved the log neatly in two with a single swing.
Despite years apart, the old friends continued to cleave to their childhood loyalty.
A note on using this word
Cleave is a rare contronym in English, meaning both to split apart and to stick together; context makes clear which sense is meant.
Words with a similar meaning
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