drive a wedge

English

Verb

drive a wedge (third-person singular simple present drives a wedge, present participle driving a wedge, simple past drove a wedge, past participle driven a wedge)

1. (idiomatic, often followed by between) To separate.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

2. (idiomatic, often followed by between) To cause dispute or hostility between people.
   • 2021 September 17, Jack Ewing, Melissa Eddy, “Merkel Leaves the German Economy With Trouble Under the Hood”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     “German trade with China dwarfs all other member states, and Germany clearly drives policy on China in the E.U.,” said Theresa Fallon, director of the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels. Germany’s economic dependence on China “is driving a wedge in trans-Atlantic relations,” Ms. Fallon said.