1
as in disbanding
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ending
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 dividing
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 losing it
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 stopping
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 disrupting
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 laughing
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking up
Terrion Arnold #0 of the Detroit Lions celebrates after breaking up a 4th down pass in the end zone against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Ford Field on September 30, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.
—
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Chapter One opens with Ocean, a Korean space pilot, breaking up with her boyfriend at a Korean BBQ restaurant.
—Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
After breaking up in 2000, the Jesus Lizard reunited in 2008 to play a brief tour, including a set at Pitchfork Music Festival the following year.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 5 Aug. 2025
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Chapter One opens with Ocean, a Korean space pilot, breaking up with her boyfriend at a Korean BBQ restaurant.
—Elaine U. Cho
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
After breaking up in 2000, the Jesus Lizard reunited in 2008 to play a brief tour, including a set at Pitchfork Music Festival the following year.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
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Companies that committed to DEI efforts and made public statements are now pulling back from those policies, editing their websites, disbanding employee resource groups, and quietly abandoning inclusive hiring goals.—
C200,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The Turtles would release two more albums — 1968’s The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands and 1969’s Turtle Soup — before disbanding in 1970.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The number of ski visits at domestic ski resorts climbed by nearly 13% in the year ending April 30 to 26 million, according to the China Ski Industry White Paper.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Last season, McCarthy was on the sideline with a season-ending meniscus injury suffered during preseason.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The solution is to rejuvenate your plants every two to three years by digging and dividing the clump.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
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The main way to do that is by selling their tickets in virtually every state, rather than dividing up the country into different competing territories.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For thinkers like Ratti, the time for stopping or slowing climate change has passed, and the time for climate adaptation is upon us.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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The European Commission isn't stopping with financial penalties, though.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Analysts, however, worry if the licenses will be approved fast enough to avoid disrupting operations abroad.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
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Soft-spoken and unrelenting, Alboury emerges as the only moral voice in a land of postcolonial abandon, refusing to let Cal get away with what may be homicide, while disrupting Horn’s romantic first night with Leonie.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While you guys had staff inside laughing, pointing and even flicking off the crowd outside.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Earlier this week, however, Swizz shared a video of the couple smiling, laughing and dancing together to Instagram.—
Jack Irvin,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Swift’s zigs and zags were well timed for cultural and technological shifts that were dissolving the very meaning of pop.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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The spicules themselves begin dissolving right away and are fully broken down into harmless, water-soluble components within 24 hours.—
Celia Shatzman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With Tsunoda experiencing difficulties in getting used to the RB21 F1 car, and with his Red Bull contract expiring at the end of this year, Hadjar's name has been floated for a potential Red Bull promotion.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Valdez ignored Salazar and delivered the pitch barely ahead of the pitch clock expiring.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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