separate
verb (used with object)
to keep apart or divide, as by an intervening barrier or space.
had separated
-
past perfectof separate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Just one day later, the enormous ice island had separated from the glacier's eastern side.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
The child had lived with his grandparents since he was two years old after his parents had separated, he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Todd Bridges has taken steps to make his split from Bettijo Hirschi official after announcing in January that he and his spouse had separated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
In 1993 it denied inspectors access to camouflaged nuclear sites, leaving the world to guess whether it had separated plutonium for bombs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
During the freeze, the chemicals had separated and the once-smooth liquid was as lumpy and runny as curdled milk.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
