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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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
Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
The Reds broke up Keller's shutout bid in the sixth inning when TJ Friedl doubled and scored on Elly De La Cruz's groundout.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
But Sun’s love affair with the Trumps turned into a bitter breakup in September after World Liberty Financial froze Sun’s tokens, preventing him from selling his tranche, which is now worth around $240 million at current market prices.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
According to her lawsuit, Lucas had become certified as a wilderness first responder in 2018, began volunteering as a medic during street protests in 2020 and had volunteered as a medic at the UCSD encampment on multiple occasions before it was broken up May 6.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
The Reds broke up Keller's shutout bid in the sixth inning when TJ Friedl doubled and scored on Elly De La Cruz's groundout.
—CBS News, 2 May 2026
Noun
Eyre-Morgan, who also wrote the script, stars as a lonely thirtysomething named Benji looking for a connection of any kind following a particularly devastating breakup.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
But Sun’s love affair with the Trumps turned into a bitter breakup in September after World Liberty Financial froze Sun’s tokens, preventing him from selling his tranche, which is now worth around $240 million at current market prices.
—Ben Weiss, Fortune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
In the 15 years after Burstyn, the vast majority of state and local film censorship boards were disbanded.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After the Ronettes disbanded, Ross continued to release music solo.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every single section can be divided into a packing cube.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The case has also divided the agriculture industry.—
Christiana Freitag,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tuesday, April 28 Health inspectors cited the Rancho Cordova Thai restaurant after finding the cook cracking an egg on the prep line and continuing to prep food without proper handwashing and glove replacement.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
May 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
Chara thought nothing of cracking Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci or Brad Marchand in the back with a cross-check during net-front sessions.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Marco Bello | Reuters Spirit Airlines ceased operations early Saturday after the budget airline failed to get its bond investors behind a $500 million government bailout deal.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
4 May 2026
-
The building became empty and available after a solar roof company exited the site, ceased operations, laid off all its South Bay workers and moved to Texas.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Allen was injured but was not shot during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
Several airlines are offering limited-time fares to help accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by Spirit’s closure.—
Scott Laird,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
In a behind-the-scenes shot by Alex Bramall, Princess Charlotte is seen sitting in front of Eugenie, laughing so hard her eyes are squeezed shut.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
Godfrey laughed when thinking about that moment.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The Oscar-winning actor and her former husband of 19 years, country musician Keith Urban, finalized their split, including the division of their many homes, in January 2026.—
Joyce Chen,
Architectural Digest,
2 May 2026
-
Leaders who recognize the split will capture near-term wins while building the governance required for the bigger prize.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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