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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breaking up
Demonstrations took place in several cities across Israel over the weekend, with police breaking up a large gathering in Tel Aviv.
—
Npr Staff, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
Images taken by Reuters show Israeli security forces breaking up the demonstrations in the city’s Habima Square.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
As the party was breaking up, officers reported hearing multiple gunshots near the home.
—Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The pair make several successful films before breaking up, both romantically and professionally.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Like a rebellious band member or an unruly lover, Takahiro Miyashita has a talent for breaking up and making up.
—Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The room begins to feel fragmented, with too many edges breaking up the sightline.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, in the early 1900s, people feared broadcast radio would wrinkle their skin, dry up the sky, and even cause flooding by breaking up clouds.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
But the bigger fiction was that this case could or should result in a court order breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Npr Staff, NPR, 5 Apr. 2026
Images taken by Reuters show Israeli security forces breaking up the demonstrations in the city’s Habima Square.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
As the party was breaking up, officers reported hearing multiple gunshots near the home.
—Andrea Lucia, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The pair make several successful films before breaking up, both romantically and professionally.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Like a rebellious band member or an unruly lover, Takahiro Miyashita has a talent for breaking up and making up.
—Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2026
The room begins to feel fragmented, with too many edges breaking up the sightline.
—Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 3 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, in the early 1900s, people feared broadcast radio would wrinkle their skin, dry up the sky, and even cause flooding by breaking up clouds.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
But the bigger fiction was that this case could or should result in a court order breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
-
Ambrosia released one more album, 1982’s Road Island, before disbanding a few years later.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The group released seven studio albums between 1985 and 2011 before disbanding in 2014 after Spinks died of liver cancer, followed by Lewis’ death in 2020.—
Annie Harrigan,
Billboard,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
However, Richey escaped any further damage with an inning-ending strikeout.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This one, coming off the back of two hugely disappointing, trophy-ending, and potentially derailing defeats, was one of their best of the season.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ebus added that interest in Venezuela is already dividing potential investors, with smaller risk-taking firms eager to enter while major companies remain cautious.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Much of the play is dedicated to Asaf trying to figure out this conflict between his progressive views and his faith and sense of history, and also to airing the arguments about Israel that were dividing the left in the George Floyd era and continue to do so in 2026.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Peanut cannot smell, but caregivers say that limitation does not appear to be stopping him from adjusting to his new surroundings.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are 81 rooms in total, ranging from classic doubles to one-bedroom apartments, while the show-stopping penthouse suite has a dining table for eight, a dressing room and an enormous 130-square-metre rooftop terrace with a private sauna and cold plunge pool overlooking Fitzrovia.—
Siobhan Grogan,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Namira lives in East Elmhurst, where several bus stops had recently been removed, disrupting her mother’s commute to Times Square and inspiring her to action.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Cybersecurity stocks — Shares got hit again as investor fears of AI threatening cyber infrastructure and disrupting cybersecurity companies' business models reappeared.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Friends like Lyle and Danny started laughing at us and edging away, calling Lisa my Yoko.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In the security video, the two officers can be seen laughing and shaking hands with the assailants.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cyanidation is a process used to extract gold from low-grade ore by dissolving it in a dilute cyanide solution.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Following what’s become a national trend, Georgia is dissolving one of the only gender studies majors offered by its public universities.—
Jason Armesto,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Antetokounmpo is in the first year of a three-year, $175 million deal, but next season, he will be viewed as an expiring contract, wielding the power to decline the Year 3 player option to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In that sense, the outcome mirrors the party’s last shutdown fight, when Democrats demanded an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies but ultimately reopened the government without securing them, prompting frustration within their ranks.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
