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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking up
Keionte Scott played all 73 snaps at nickel corner, giving up catches on three of five targets for 28 yards while also breaking up a pass, recording eight tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Over time, Moore became suspicious of Wuornos, eventually breaking up with her and moving back to Ohio.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Last year, a mysterious fireball was spotted breaking up in the sky over southern Russia.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
They got engaged for the first time in November of 2022, before breaking up in January 2004.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Oct. 2025
However, when Morgan runs into an obstacle in breaking up with him, a moody Joanne tells him to just marry him anyway.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Partially cover the pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Horn and Jackson traded highlights, with Horn collecting two acrobatics interceptions off Taylor, and Jackson breaking up a pair of crucial passes.
—Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
Stir, and cook, stirring and breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
—Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025
Over time, Moore became suspicious of Wuornos, eventually breaking up with her and moving back to Ohio.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Last year, a mysterious fireball was spotted breaking up in the sky over southern Russia.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
They got engaged for the first time in November of 2022, before breaking up in January 2004.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Oct. 2025
However, when Morgan runs into an obstacle in breaking up with him, a moody Joanne tells him to just marry him anyway.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Partially cover the pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Horn and Jackson traded highlights, with Horn collecting two acrobatics interceptions off Taylor, and Jackson breaking up a pair of crucial passes.
—Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
Stir, and cook, stirring and breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
—Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
-
Michael Schill, then president of Northwestern, was berated by congressional Republicans for brokering a compromise with pro-Palestinian protesters last year, disbanding their tent cities while preserving free speech.—
James Druckman,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
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From there, Hansen and his bandmates determined the best course of action, and discussions even arose about disbanding the group, which had formed in 1976.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After losing star tight end Tucker Kraft , who led the team with 489 yards receiving and six touchdowns, to a season-ending ACL injury, Green Bay was on the hunt to find a suitable replacement.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Alexander suffered a season-ending torn PCL in his right knee in 2024.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Where to Stay While Umbria isn’t massive, dividing your trip into at least two home bases is highly recommended to appreciate the region’s slower tempo.—
John Skelton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Sympodial orchids must be propagated by dividing them, not pruning or trimming them.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Despite the logic gleaned from the accounting books arguing to the contrary, spending is showing no signs of stopping.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And that crackdown is disrupting the global remittance market.—
NPR,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This prevents stray heat from disrupting the atoms’ oscillations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kate McKinnon always leaves the audience laughing.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Viewer Reactions With over 134,700 likes and 165 comments, TikTok users couldn't stop laughing at the accident and the dog's reaction.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The idea of dissolving the self in an acid bath of erotic imagery was not, in the end, so unappealing.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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That’s 14 years of dreaming, dissolving, romanticizing, escaping, and sometimes deceiving ourselves.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Policyholders with expiring contracts could lose coverage and funds to pay claims have dropped $30 billion due to the shutdown.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
30 Oct. 2025
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That's because funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is expiring for the first time in history.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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