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
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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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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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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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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Cameron had first served as drummer for fellow legendary grunge band Soundgarden from 1986 until the band broke up in 1997 (and from 2010 until 2017 when the band reunited), joining Pearl Jam in 1998.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 July 2025
That’s how spin-offs and breakups start: not with noise, but with accounting and segmentation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
The rock outfit had a hard time following that effort, and after breaking up for a period, Hootie & the Blowfish eventually reunited, at least for the occasional release.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Cameron had first served as drummer for fellow legendary grunge band Soundgarden from 1986 until the band broke up in 1997 (and from 2010 until 2017 when the band reunited), joining Pearl Jam in 1998.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
Noun
For now, secret spots and sunny alleys are claimed by his protagonist Nicolau, in his 20s and directionless after a devastating breakup.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 July 2025
That’s how spin-offs and breakups start: not with noise, but with accounting and segmentation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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When Soundgarden reunited in 2010, Cameron was a member of both groups, though Soundgarden later disbanded after lead singer Chris Cornell died in 2017.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
7 July 2025
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When the village disbanded the police department, outgoing Police Chief Jacob Tenbrink told The Enquirer then that Addyston might need to be absorbed by Miami Township to survive.—
Sharon Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
The black box stopped recording a few seconds later.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Know the Signs Cucumbers are typically divided into two main categories: slicing cucumbers and pickling cucumbers.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 July 2025
-
Debate at meeting During the board meeting Thursday night, the room was divided between supporters of Mayer, advocates for the students who came forward, and former students who were against Mayer’s employment from being reinstated.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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Last month, the company announced plans to drive vehicles manually in New York for testing, marking the first step toward potentially cracking the largest U.S. city.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
7 July 2025
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In the past four years, four Utes TEs (Cole Fotheringham, Thomas Yassmin, Dalton Kincaid, and now Lohner) have cracked pro rosters.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
Verb
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When the questioning ceased, committee Chair Rep. Doug Miller R-Elkhart, thanked the fruitful advocates for their time.—
Anna Cecil,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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The order instructs the testing facility to cease operations as of July 4, and gives them 21 days to request for a hearing over the commission’s action.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Underneath the fun exterior, Red Bull was serious about its ambitions of disrupting F1’s front-runners and assembling a team that was capable of winning a championship.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Asked by a reporter this week to describe the journey of her tennis career, Amanda Anisimova paused, then laughed.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
11 July 2025
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From left: Betty laughs in her armchair, and a screenshot of the video.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Noun
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The split in 1845 followed a ruling by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society prohibiting slave owners from becoming missionaries.—
Michael Casey,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
-
The split between Democrats and Republicans, at 56 percentage points, is at its widest since 2001.—
Linley Sanders,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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