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
Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 5 June 2026
Maya, like Bassichis, did an act that was a bit standup, a bit performance art, broken up by dreamy, oddball songs.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 4 June 2026
If the couple has broken up more than twice, discussing said breakup will result in jail time.
—Zoe Pearl, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
To break up the look, try pairing different tones of denim together.
—Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 5 June 2026
Maya, like Bassichis, did an act that was a bit standup, a bit performance art, broken up by dreamy, oddball songs.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Noun
Below, Boston talks to Deadline about her unique writing process, the thematic heart of the series and why the show’s shocking finale ultimately functions as a breakup story.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 4 June 2026
If the couple has broken up more than twice, discussing said breakup will result in jail time.
—Zoe Pearl, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
In 2012, the commission was incorporated into the Tourism Authority and disbanded during severe budget cuts.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Many of the top leaders are gone, and the office’s advisory committee has also been disbanded.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
In order to secure the funds, the family members submitted fake financial instruments and money orders, continuing to do so even after the IRS sent them letters telling them to stop, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
-
The order, which Trump signed in private on June 2, stops short of mandating that the federal government conduct safety evaluations and cybersecurity testing for advanced AI products.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
It’s divided into five romances.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The price-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing the stock price by the consensus 12-months earnings projections on FactSet.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Then the German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch cracked industrial nitrogen fixation in 1909, and the practical significance of the problem receded.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In the company of Charlie and Catherine, Leonora ceases to feel like herself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
The move comes after FanDuel Sports Network Florida ceased local-rights operations at the conclusion of this past season.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Deciding on a solution to the long-running turtle tizzy at I-95’s Exit 42, where 100-foot-tall light towers burn so brightly experts say the glow disrupts sea turtle nesting on beaches 12 miles away, has state and local government officials at loggerheads.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
8 June 2026
-
According to the regional police, armed supporters of the group shot at security forces in Rawalakot and later surrounded the Combined Military Hospital, disrupting medical services.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
First and foremost, as was first reported by Shanghai Daily, the child was not seriously injured, so if your first instinct was to fear retribution for laughing at the visual of a humanoid robot doing a Rex-Kwan-Do routine in a clown wig and rocking some little kid in the chest, then worry not.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Families and groups of friends gather around the chic outdoor patio furniture, laughing and telling stories.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Analysts read the split as a flight to quality.—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Let’s go over some of the ways the Spurs can fix things and go to Madison Square Garden with a split.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
