1
as in to disband
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to come to an end
the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to divide
to set or force apart
he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to crack
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
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5
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to laugh
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in split
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces
the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism pretty much signaled the end of the Cold War
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
Marta and Antonio, partners of many years, quarrel and suddenly break up.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Through eight games, Jones has two interceptions, nine pass breakups, 36 tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack on defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
The couple met as students at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2001, fell in love (and famously broke up for a time), and in 2010, William proposed atop the foothills of Mount Kenya with his late mother’s iconic sapphire ring.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
Marta and Antonio, partners of many years, quarrel and suddenly break up.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
The two dated from 2015 until 2018, announcing their breakup in a YouTube video.
—Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Through eight games, Jones has two interceptions, nine pass breakups, 36 tackles, six tackles for loss and one sack on defense.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
The band Van Halen disbanded after Eddie's death.—
Sarah Sotoodeh,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
As rumored over the past few weeks, MTV is putting its music video legacy in the rear-view mirror, with the network’s music team disbanded and Wendy Plaut, SVP and Head of Music & Celebrity Talent, departing.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On third-and-1 with seven seconds left, Schakel took the snap and tried to spike the ball, which would have stopped the clock and given his team one final play to go for the win.—
Alex Valdes,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Among those who do use an advisor, 26% are considering switching and 18% may stop using an advisor altogether.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Qianlong took a page from the design of private gardens in southern China to make the layout more compact, and divided the site into four connected courtyards, two of which are currently open to the public, from south to north.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Engineers divide conventional aircraft into three main lightning zones.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In the Zootopia sequel directed by Jared Bush and Bryon Howard, brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), team up again to crack the most perilous and intricate case of their careers.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
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Democratic senators are split on whether to vote to reopen the government, but Republicans only need a handful of Democrats to crack to end the shutdown.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Timor-Leste’s oil and gas wells are already running dry, with oil production at the Bayu-Undan field in the Timor Sea—the country’s only producing field—ceasing production in June 2025.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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The pattern held on many Western rivers; without regulations on what people could keep, wild fisheries would simply cease to exist.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the science shows exercising late at night, just before bed can disrupt sleep.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and Navy both operate advanced jamming aircraft, such as the J-16D, equipped with pods that can disrupt radar, GPS, and datalinks across wide areas.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In another image, the Chinese leader appears to grin with his eyes shut, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi laughing by his side.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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The grandmas who pass down recipes, the sisters who keep us laughing, the besties who show up with love, and the moms who make sure the table is full.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The two were married in 2015 and divorced in 2018, but characterized the split as amicable and have remained close.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
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And on which side Kidman is taking in Cruise’s new split, especially.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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