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
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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
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
Vacmaster Portable Carpet Cleaner Utilizing 15 kilopascals of suction power, the cleaner shampoos carpeted and upholstered surfaces to break up tough messes.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
This is where the new breakup presents both a risk and an opportunity.
—Hank Cardello, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
The latter is in disarray after the departure of its former CEO Daniel Lalonde, who allegedly left over the investment fund’s decision to break up the company, in January.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
Vacmaster Portable Carpet Cleaner Utilizing 15 kilopascals of suction power, the cleaner shampoos carpeted and upholstered surfaces to break up tough messes.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
The outfit has endured its share of challenges, however, and was involved in an acrimonious breakup with the The Chosen filmmakers (the series was an early victory for Angel’s digital platforms).
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025
This is where the new breakup presents both a risk and an opportunity.
—Hank Cardello, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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Despite being signed to the culture-changing label Sub Pop for four albums in the 2000s, Fruit Bats never achieved the same level of acclaim as many of their labelmates, like the Shins and Sleater Kinney, and Johnson disbanded the collective at the end of its 2013 tour.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
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With the group only set to work together for two-and-a-half years, IZ*ONE managed to sell nearly three million records across their K- and J-pop releases before officially disbanding in April 2021.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Nothing better than putting down the top and driving beautiful roads just after the rain stops and the air is powerfully charged by the nearby ocean, scrubbed clean.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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In fact, water levels at Lake Powell, one of the main water storage reservoirs for the Colorado River Basin, could fall low enough to stop hydropower generation at the reservoir by December 2026, according to the NOAA report.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In fact, a quick review of the central bank’s dot plot underscores just how divided the Fed Governors are on the question of whether to cut interest rates (and by how much) over the next 12 months.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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The procession is escorted by 80 soldiers from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, divided into four units and carrying the regimental flags of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even some of the most successful K-pop artists in America have yet to crack one of Billboard’s radio lists, or to land a major win.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Thanks to the flaw, the hackers were able to crack the credentials and gain administrative privileges to accounts on Ascension’s Microsoft Active Directory server, which can be harnessed to manage user accounts and applications over a company’s network.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Without any of the three, money once again ceases to circulate.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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After that, production would temporarily cease with operations idling until October 2025 in order to complete retooling work to prepare the facility for production of the 2026 model year.—
Jackie Charniga,
Freep.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, pollution accumulation and vessel noise disrupt their echolocation abilities, making hunting increasingly difficult.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Free of sulfates, fragrances, and dyes, the Gentle Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner won’t disrupt your scalp’s barrier.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, unbelievably, Solène laughs in Rainbeau’s face.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Tyson is seen laughing in the video as MrBeast tries to recover from the punch.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
His election meant that Minnesota’s State House would have an even split of Democrats and Republicans, with each party holding 67 seats.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
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At still higher temperatures and earlier times, the energy of any radiation present (as well as neutrinos and antineutrinos) would have been sufficient to cause protons and neutrons to interconvert, leading to a 50/50 split between protons and neutrons.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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