break up

1 to cease to exist or cause to cease to exist as a group or organization <the band broke up when their arguments over money grew too stressful> Synonyms disband, disperse, dissolveRelated Words demobilizeNear Antonyms incorporate; consolidate; hang togetherAntonyms band, join, unite

2 to come to an end <the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed> Synonyms break off, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out)Related Words desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from); give over [British], knock off, pack (up or in); break down, conk (out), cut out, stall; pause, stay, suspend; abate, peter (out), wind downNear Antonyms draw out, extend, prolong, protractAntonyms continue, hang on, persist

3 to set or force apart <he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground> Synonyms separate, decouple, disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyokeRelated Words break down, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, dissolve; bifurcate, bisect, cleave, dichotomize, dissect, fractionalize, fractionate, halve, partition, quarter, segment, subdivide, trisect; fragment, fragmentate, fragmentize; break, fracture, pull, rend, rift, rip, rive, rupture, tear; cut off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester; detach, disengage, disentangle, unravel, untieNear Antonyms assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix; connect, couple; accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weldAntonyms join, link, unify, unite

4 to yield to mental or emotional stress <the sort of person who would be among the first to break up in a prisoner of war camp> Synonyms break down, crack, flip (out) [slang], freak (out), melt down, wig (out) [slang]Related Words choke

5 to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end <police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas> Synonyms break, break off, stop, can [slang], cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut offRelated Words complete, conclude, finish; close (down); deactivate; block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem; call, suspend; arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back; pause, stay, suspend; abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuffNear Antonyms carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on; advance, proceed, progress; actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

6 to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly <break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad> Synonyms break, bust, distintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, riveRelated Words atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreckNear Antonyms doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

7 to show mirth with an explosive vocal sound <if you break up during the skit, the audience will know that you're in on the joke> Synonyms laugh, cackle, chortle, chuckle, crack up, giggle, hee-haw, roar, scream, snicker, titter, twitterRelated Words grin, smileNear Antonyms bawl, blubber, cry, sob, weep; howl, scream, squall, wail, yowl; bleat, pule, whimper, whine; sniffle, snivel; groan, moan, sigh