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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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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
The concept, like most camouflage suits, appears to be to break up the human silhouette in open areas like snow drifts.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Jan. 2026
The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
SosMula is finding himself outside of the influential trap-metal act City Morgue, which may have broken up, is at least on hiatus and likely won’t resurface unchanged.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
The concept, like most camouflage suits, appears to be to break up the human silhouette in open areas like snow drifts.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
Noun
However, their breakup was caused by their busy schedules.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Jan. 2026
The Rams forced a punt on Seattle’s next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks to Witherspoon’s pass breakup.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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Relations between the three soured in 2021 and following Rooney’s DUI arrest that September, the group quietly disbanded.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
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After the war, these programs were largely disbanded.—
Colton Valentine,
New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But that didn’t stop her, and a few days later Waller was able to make contact with Huntington-Whiteley through another fashion influencer on Instagram – and the designer coat was successfully acquired.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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The officers provided first aid and attempted to stop the bleeding following the shooting, according to the agency.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The federal government included Niscemi in a state of emergency declaration on Monday for three southern regions hard hit by Cyclone Harry and set aside an initial $120 million to be divided among them.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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In moments of crisis—when communities are grieving, divided, or searching for ways to care for one another—nonprofits stand on the front lines, holding our social fabric together through connection, healing, and support.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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A certain perception of Arsenal’s mental frailties persists, as if this is not just the same team that faltered in the final stages in 2022-23 but the same one that habitually cracked under pressure in the later years of Wenger’s tenure.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Directed by Stacey Lee and produced by Jon Watts, the three-part documentary series (inspired by the iHeart Media podcast of the same name) chronicles a high school sociology class trying to crack a local cold case.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cardozo added that all milking operations have ceased, and some beef and non-lactating dairy cattle are still grazing.—
Richard Halstead,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
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Désirée Zamorano Writer and educator Désirée Zamorano recalls the intensity of the time surrounding the Eaton fire last year, bookended by political stress, which hasn’t ceased.—
Erica Zora Wrightson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Both sides say the strike will disrupt hospital operations.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The United States on June 25 launched a new satellite expected to significantly improve forecasts of solar flares and coronal mass ejections — huge plasma bubbles that can crash into Earth, disrupting power grids and communications.—
Sasirekha Subramanian,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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All the guys were sitting around, laughing.—
Jayson Jenks,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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Asked for his take on the matter, Carollo laughed.—
Tess Riski
January 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Companies to watch include Kraft Heinz, which could share more details on its upcoming split, and Nestle, which is considering selling off multiple brands in its portfolio.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Rauw, a 33-year-old San Jaun romantic, had a breakthrough after a breakup, skipping coolly across genres and balancing electronic and acoustic arrangements following a split with Rosalia; even in polar vortex hell, Karol G’s Tropicoqueta goes over like a glass of concentrated essence of summer.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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