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
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
These mini-workouts break up long periods of sitting and may improve heart and muscle health, especially for inactive adults.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
During an interview with Paper, Wasser discussed her real-life breakup that helped inspire the movie.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Even the bride- and groom-to-be break up.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025
These mini-workouts break up long periods of sitting and may improve heart and muscle health, especially for inactive adults.
—Simon Spichak, Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
Hamilton earned honorable mention All-MW honors last season after ranking seventh nationally in pass breakups (13).
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
During an interview with Paper, Wasser discussed her real-life breakup that helped inspire the movie.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
The program was disbanded this fall.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
-
At the end of those 103 shows, the group essentially disbanded, Beckham said.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former instantly adds a second layer of security against unwanted guests, and the latter emits an ultra-loud alarm while acting like a door stop wedge, scaring off any stranger who tries to enter your room.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
-
And Los Angeles did not stop there.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Senate Republicans are trying to divide Democrats on Thursday with a vote that would pay government workers deemed essential who are working without pay during the shutdown.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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In the trailer, Whitney drops the bomb that she is set to start her own MomTok, as the group continues to be divided.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Determined to crack the case, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) closes in on the operation, raising the stakes even higher.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Brody kept things light by cracking threesome jokes.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a filing on Friday, the nearly-defunct federal body sought summary judgment in NPR’s lawsuit against the organization over its decision to appropriate funding for satellite distribution to a select group of NPR member stations before the CPB ceases operations.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Congress failed to pass a budget or temporary funding measure before the federal fiscal year ended on October 1, forcing many federal agencies to cease all non-mandatory operations.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The real passengers on the ship were not particularly delighted to have large camera cables and lights and people disrupting their vacations.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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Corn can provide carbohydrates, which can be vital to deer during the winter for a burst of energy, Edge said, but an increase in carbs can disrupt the animal's gut chemistry and affect digestion, much like giving children a lot of candy bars.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Madigan says of the fan theory, laughing.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Oct. 2025
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In a viral Reddit post, a dog owner revealed what her golden retriever did after breaking into their neighbors’ home, and internet users can’t stop laughing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In an interview with Genlux magazine (via Page Six), Mason spoke openly about how her parents' split affected her.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Biebers have been the subject of rampant tabloid split rumors, especially over the last year.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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