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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of break up
Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The formal look at the Vancouver Olympics, 2010 To break up the rigor of the dark jacket and skirt suit, Anne wore a light blue scarf featuring the symbols of the Olympics, primarily the five rings.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026
Students have described turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Snapchat's My AI, and Grok during breakups, grief, or emotional overwhelm.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
The two broke up in September 2024 after seven months of dating.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
The formal look at the Vancouver Olympics, 2010 To break up the rigor of the dark jacket and skirt suit, Anne wore a light blue scarf featuring the symbols of the Olympics, primarily the five rings.
—Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
Ragweed’s initial run was as a club band and festival headliner until its 2010 breakup.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026
Students have described turning to AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Snapchat's My AI, and Grok during breakups, grief, or emotional overwhelm.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
Beijing’s national security law has transformed Hong Kong, with authorities jailing dozens of dissidents; forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband; and neutering the city’s once-raucous political scene.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
All of those entities have been basically disbanded.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
From open models to real-world applications, China has shown that constraints have not stopped it from gaining ground.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
From there, James made second-team All-NBA the next season and didn’t stop landing on one of the three teams until this season.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said the two men were hit near the ceasefire line that divides Gaza, with one half under Israeli military control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Developer Scott Gibbel had initially presented plans for three buildings on the site, but, following mixed reviews from commissioners at a meeting in December, the proposal was revised, with a 218,700 square-foot structure divided into two separate buildings.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even for those films that did crack the best British film list, though, the recognition can feel tokenistic.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But soon her story begins to crack.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
University of Arkansas men's basketball Coach John Calipari has ceased box-out drills.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Based on the timeline laid out by the district attorney’s office, all attempts to find Proctor ceased after Gascón was defeated by current Los Angeles County Dist.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Corvus Robotics says the system can operate during active warehouse shifts without disrupting workflows.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The West Coast sunlight would disrupt the concert feel that most halftime shows have, Cuddeford said.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The other boys can be heard laughing in the background.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
After all, love is nice, but laughing with your ride-or-die friends?—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If the split happens in the middle of the tree trunk, what's left looks hollow and shredded, resembling an explosion.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Zhang Dan landed hard, falling into an awkward splits.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
