sever

他用斧头砍断了那根粗树枝。

He used an axe to ___sever the thick branch.

争吵后，她决定彻底断绝与朋友的联系。

After the argument, she decided to ___sever all contact with her friend.

举报人决心彻底切断与该机构的联系，然后向媒体公开内部文件。

The whistleblower resolved to ___sever all ties with the agency before releasing the internal documents to the press.