break up

1 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 disband, disperse, dissolveRelated Words demobilizeNear Antonyms incorporate; consolidate; hang togetherAntonyms band, join, unite

2 to come to an end the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed Synonyms break off, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out)Related Words desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from); give over [British], knock off, pack (up or in); break down, conk (out), cut out, stall; pause, stay, suspend; abate, peter (out), wind downNear Antonyms draw out, extend, prolong, protractAntonyms continue, hang on, persist

3 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 separate, decouple, disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyokeRelated Words break down, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, dissolve; bifurcate, bisect, cleave, dichotomize, dissect, fractionalize, fractionate, halve, partition, quarter, segment, subdivide, trisect; fragment, fragmentate, fragmentize; break, fracture, pull, rend, rift, rip, rive, rupture, tear; cut off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester; detach, disengage, disentangle, unravel, untieNear Antonyms assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix; connect, couple; accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weldAntonyms join, link, unify, unite

4 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 break down, crack, flip (out) [slang], freak (out), melt down, wig (out) [slang]Related Words choke

5 to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas Synonyms break, break off, stop, can [slang], cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut offRelated Words complete, conclude, finish; close (down); deactivate; block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem; call, suspend; arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back; pause, stay, suspend; abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuffNear Antonyms carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on; advance, proceed, progress; actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

6 to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad Synonyms break, bust, distintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, riveRelated Words atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreckNear Antonyms doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

7 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 laugh, cackle, chortle, chuckle, crack up, giggle, hee-haw, roar, scream, snicker, titter, twitterRelated Words grin, smileNear Antonyms bawl, blubber, cry, sob, weep; howl, scream, squall, wail, yowl; bleat, pule, whimper, whine; sniffle, snivel; groan, moan, sigh