The word 'sunder' is often found in literary texts, like novels or poetry, rather than everyday conversation. In the novel, the family's bond was sundered by tragedy.
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Emotional Impact
'Sunder' can imply a forceful or violent separation, carrying more emotional weight than 'split' or 'divide'. War had sundered many loved ones from each other.
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Archaic Tone
Using 'sunder' might give your language an old-fashioned or formal tone, as it's less common in modern speech. The treaty sundered the alliance between the two nations.