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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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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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
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Stir in ground beef, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025
James Boyd, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Honeywell provided some updates on the conference call about its wise breakup plans.
—Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Rosa, who is disabled and recovering from surgery, claimed that she was struck while trying to break up an altercation.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Stir in ground beef, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink.
—Gretchen McKay, Boston Herald, 7 May 2025
Noun
Edwards totaled just one pass breakup and zero picks in 14 games during the 2024 campaign.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Honeywell provided some updates on the conference call about its wise breakup plans.
—Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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At a time in America when our institutional safety nets are being disbanded and the burden to support each other often comes down to individual efforts, Charlie’s struggle feels all the more apt.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 May 2025
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The officers were all part of the force’s controversial SCORPION unit – created to tackle rising crime in the city and disbanded amid national outcry and allegations of pervasive policing abuses following Nichols’ death.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
8 May 2025
Verb
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One day, a man named Harold McPherson stopped to answer her, and not long after, the two married.—
Dorothy Fortenberry,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2025
-
Parts of the river so choked by weed that boat traffic was stopped were clear within days.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2025
Verb
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What's Next Breastfeeding often divides public opinion, and will likely spark similar debates online in the future.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
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On our trip to Greenville, Victor stopped at a road that divides two burial grounds in town.—
Erika Hayasaki,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Now, a May 15 report has brought another iPhone and Android warning to the forefront regarding PIN number usage: the speed at which AI can crack yours.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Imagine a slow-motion bubble of molten rock pressing upward beneath the surface, warping and cracking the crust above.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
19 May 2025
Verb
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When that shows '0,' this restaurant needs to cease operations.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Starting June 1, the forecast office in Fairbanks, Alaska, also will cease overnight staffing; Pendleton, Oregon, also is on the list provided by Fahy, but a date has not been set.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
Verb
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In a particularly affecting scene, Laura pleads with a social worker who disrupts the sinister plot she’s been crafting.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
16 May 2025
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Indeed, on Thursday in Basel, a small group of protesters blew whistles and waved flags to disrupt one of Raphael’s public rehearsals.—
Alex Marshall,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Another adorable snap featured Bush and Ocean laughing and cuddling together on a couch.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
12 May 2025
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Everyone was barefoot, laughing, dancing and soaked.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 May 2025
Noun
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The latter split at the end of the 1968 season due to financial disagreements and eventually founded the current PGA Tour.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
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The film’s split into five chapters (the last, in yet another spring, being the punchiest and most effective) can lead to an unbalanced narrative where certain coming-of-age touchstones are emphasized over others that deserve more attention.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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