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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking up
He’s best known for breaking up that colossus, which is spurring speculation that PayPal’s board intends to sell off segments of the firm’s business.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
After breaking up with Berlingeri, Bad Bunny began dating Jenner, which was his most headline-grabbing relationship yet.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2026
Inhaling the steam from and consuming a hot beverage (like water) can help with nasal congestion by breaking up mucus and unclogging the sinuses.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
His priorities include lowering credit card interest rates, breaking up corporate monopolies, capping prescription drug prices, expanding free school meals, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Cook, stirring often and breaking up meat, until beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
If that's correct, then not enough time has passed for solar radiation to have cleared out all the dust sprayed into space by the asteroid breaking up.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Even if Senate Republicans conceded to breaking up the funding package, the bills would be kicked back to the House of Representatives, which is on a weeklong recess.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Both played well in the postseason, too, with Durant intercepting three passes and breaking up seven more and Curl making a big impact in the divisional victory over the Chicago Bears, not least of all with an overtime interception.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
After breaking up with Berlingeri, Bad Bunny began dating Jenner, which was his most headline-grabbing relationship yet.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 9 Feb. 2026
Inhaling the steam from and consuming a hot beverage (like water) can help with nasal congestion by breaking up mucus and unclogging the sinuses.
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 9 Feb. 2026
His priorities include lowering credit card interest rates, breaking up corporate monopolies, capping prescription drug prices, expanding free school meals, and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Cook, stirring often and breaking up meat, until beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
If that's correct, then not enough time has passed for solar radiation to have cleared out all the dust sprayed into space by the asteroid breaking up.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Even if Senate Republicans conceded to breaking up the funding package, the bills would be kicked back to the House of Representatives, which is on a weeklong recess.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
Both played well in the postseason, too, with Durant intercepting three passes and breaking up seven more and Curl making a big impact in the divisional victory over the Chicago Bears, not least of all with an overtime interception.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
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These earlier massacres also made the SDF hesitant about completely disbanding immediately, as Sharaa continues to demand.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The Bruins played in the American Basketball League through the 1930-31 season before disbanding, then were revived for the National Basketball League.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Less than a year after ending a European tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are headed back out on the Land of Hope and Dreams American tour.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Running back Cam Skattebo, who was putting together a strong rookie campaign for the New York Giants in 2025 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 8, played for Sac State in 2021 and 2022 before transferring to Arizona State.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The map keeps Salt Lake County almost entirely within one district, instead of dividing the heavily Democratic population center among all four districts, as was previously the case.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Witnesses said the plane crashed into the fence dividing two homes, prompting a gas leak.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When stopping roadside, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
For years, the staunchest border hawks and hard-liners justified their positions in terms of stopping unlawful immigration.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And Palantir cofounder Thiel has been disrupting the college-to-job pipeline for much longer.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The guest list is high-profile enough that the street in front of the building, a main artery in the city, is cordoned off for the entire evening, disrupting tram service, and dozens of police officers are stationed outside.—
Valeriya Safronova,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But lately, there’s been less laughing and playing there.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Tell Me Lies ends with Lucy, realizing that she has been betrayed once again, laughing in disbelief.—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The plant produces Circulose—a dissolving pulp made from 100 percent discarded cotton textiles—designed to integrate into existing textile supply chains and move circular solutions beyond the pilot phase into sustained industrial production.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Feb. 2026
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The plant cell wall protects the carbs from dissolving in water.—
Michaeleen Doucleff,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One example is the subsidies for buying insurance that were enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and lasted for a few years before expiring in 2025.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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In the second quarter, the Lancers forced a shot clock violation on one possession and forced turnovers on two possessions as the shot clock was seconds away from expiring.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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