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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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
Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
For example, doing a Roth Conversion of 100% of a large IRA would likely mean overpaying the taxes versus breaking up your conversion over a few years.
—David Rae, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
James Boyd, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Honeywell provided some updates on the conference call about its wise breakup plans.
—Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Though the group broke up and reformed numerous times over the ensuing years, Scherzinger, 46, slowly began racking up stage credits, first as Maureen in a 2010 production of Rent, and then as Grizabella in the 2014 West End revival of Cats.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
For example, doing a Roth Conversion of 100% of a large IRA would likely mean overpaying the taxes versus breaking up your conversion over a few years.
—David Rae, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
Edwards totaled just one pass breakup and zero picks in 14 games during the 2024 campaign.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Honeywell provided some updates on the conference call about its wise breakup plans.
—Jeff Marks,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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Decades after disbanding, the band still maintains a constant presence across a number of rankings, kept afloat by unwavering fan support and a discography that seems unbeatable.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Hong Kong: Members of the opposition Democratic Party voted to disband, one more casualty of Beijing’s suppression campaign.—
Justin Porter,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Commentary: Is Trump's plan for tariff relief for automakers too late to stop global impact?—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The administration has also asked food companies to voluntarily stop using another six dyes—Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, and Blue No. 2—by the end of 2026.—
Jamie Ducharme,
Health,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On May 10, Valparaiso University will divide its commencement into two events, with the College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences ceremony starting at 9 a.m. and the ceremony for the College of Engineering and College of Nursing and Health Professions starting at 11 a.m.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2025
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If there’s rent or a mortgage, is the cost divided in half or according to square footage?—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 May 2025
Verb
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However, inconsistent land motion–like what researchers observed in Houston–can crack and destabilize buildings, foundations, and infrastructure.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
8 May 2025
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And yet, no brand has cracked the code on making Chinese viral, relevant, and emotionally sticky (like manga did for Japanese or K-pop did for Korean).—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Verb
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But without a new agreement, it would be forced to cease operations and lay off 58 workers at the Vacaville site.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2025
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Ryan Furniture in Havre de Grace will cease operations after doing business over 75 years.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Teachers have banned it from the classroom after kids disrupted lessons by reciting its signature gibberish, Parents reports.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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It’s reported that 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted within the next five years due to rapid advances in AI and automation.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Verb
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One executive laughed at the thought, pointing out the Browns’ and Rams’ division rivals will be rooting for the Jaguars and Falcons to win as much as possible to reduce the value of those draft assets.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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The work of one of her go-to designers, Catherine Walker, this was a look that laughed in the face of minimalism.—
Olivia Allen,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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However, Hall only appeared in the premiere episode of the show due to his split from Haack.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
4 May 2025
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Huss stars in The Four Seasons as Terry, Anne's new boyfriend following her split from Nick.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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