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
On a balcony, this looks like breaking up the lineup by alternating hanging planters with those on the ground.
—
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026
The show opens with a couple, Dan (Mike Mitchell) and Dana (Plaza), breaking up and their cat, Kevin (Jason Schwartzman), deciding he’s done with both humans and will find his own way in the world.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Leading up to rehab, post-hysterectomy and just before officially breaking up with Antonoff, Dunham reconnected with a childhood boyfriend, Nick.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
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 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
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026
The show opens with a couple, Dan (Mike Mitchell) and Dana (Plaza), breaking up and their cat, Kevin (Jason Schwartzman), deciding he’s done with both humans and will find his own way in the world.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Leading up to rehab, post-hysterectomy and just before officially breaking up with Antonoff, Dunham reconnected with a childhood boyfriend, Nick.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
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The Sequence became the first female hip-hop act to sign with Sugar Hill Records and released three albums before disbanding in 1985.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
8 Apr. 2026
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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
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The Dayton Peace Accords spring to mind, named for the city that hosted talks ending the three years of bloodletting and civil war in Bosnia in the early 1990.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
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After vacating the conviction, the judge took the additional step of dismissing the murder charge against Martinez, ending the criminal case against him entirely.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The University of Massachusetts poll, fielded among 1,000 Americans, found 74% believe there are more things uniting them than dividing them.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Michelle Boudreau Design mixed a white dividing wall with hedges that don't block the view of palm trees in this desert backyard.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Let’s imagine—in a case of truly terrible architectural planning—that there is only one extremely slow elevator, stopping at each floor and taking one minute per floor.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
21 Apr. 2026
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Schools brought in counselors for the victims’ young classmates and community leaders called for a citywide reckoning on stopping domestic violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Treasury has issued sanctions on more than 1,000 targets since 2025 under the current maximum pressure campaign, the official said, aimed at disrupting Iran’s oil trade and financial networks.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Afterward, thousands of giddy fans thronged the malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade, laughing and drinking rum.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The old Twin Towers laughing as the crowd erupted was the perfect moment to capture the beginning of a new Spurs era.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The band released three albums before dissolving in 2001.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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The blade uses a chemical degradation solution that works at ambient temperature and pressure, chemically dissolving the glue holding the blade together, so the high-value carbon fiber can be recovered and reused in new turbines or car parts.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Mead has started 10 of Arsenal’s 17 WSL matches this season, and with her contract expiring in June — the same month as England’s final two qualifiers — her next move feels crucial.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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Furthermore, Monterrey said, the CTA had given it notice just a month ago that the contract would be extended for a final one-year option expiring in early April 2027.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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