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
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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
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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
Chapterhouse formed in 1987 in Reading, England, and released two albums during their original run—including the heralded shoegaze classic Whirlpool—before breaking up in 1994.
—
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Sep. 2025
Lopez and Affleck first dated in 2002 and got engaged before breaking up and then reconnecting in 2021, getting married the following year and divorcing last year.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Staley was selected Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a performance that included breaking up a fourth-down pass in the end zone on Cal’s opening drive, forcing a fumble that was turned into a touchdown, getting an interception and making seven tackles.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Climbers add dimension and vertical movement to the garden, breaking up the monotony of fence lines.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2025
In March 2022, police were breaking up fights in that same block of Caldwell Street in a parking lot outside Brooklyn Lounge when a man got a rifle and began firing at officers.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Ted decided to go to Robin’s and lied about breaking up with Victoria, leading to a kiss between the two.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
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
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Sep. 2025
Lopez and Affleck first dated in 2002 and got engaged before breaking up and then reconnecting in 2021, getting married the following year and divorcing last year.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Staley was selected Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a performance that included breaking up a fourth-down pass in the end zone on Cal’s opening drive, forcing a fumble that was turned into a touchdown, getting an interception and making seven tackles.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Climbers add dimension and vertical movement to the garden, breaking up the monotony of fence lines.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2025
In March 2022, police were breaking up fights in that same block of Caldwell Street in a parking lot outside Brooklyn Lounge when a man got a rifle and began firing at officers.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Ted decided to go to Robin’s and lied about breaking up with Victoria, leading to a kiss between the two.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
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With the group only set to work together for two-and-a-half years, IZ*ONE managed to sell nearly three million records across their K- and J-pop releases before officially disbanding in April 2021.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
13 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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Brendan McDermid | Reuters Stocks registered gains for September and the third quarter, with the Dow ending yesterday's session at an all-time closing high.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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The Giants started the year strong and looked to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres for the division crown, but would collapse in the back half of the season and miss out on the playoffs entirely, ending 81-81.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Unless Labour, the Greens, and Your Party come to an electoral understanding, their candidates will have to compete with one another, and with other parties, over every seat, dividing the left-leaning vote and potentially allowing Reform or the Conservatives to come out on top.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
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This industry has become exceptional at dividing us and pitting us against each other.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That suit, which Lukenbill’s attorneys Brad Carroll and Michael Laino filed July 11, was primarily concerned with stopping efforts by the city to limit occupancy at the bar.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Chappell Roan’s new hair color Based on reviews of the New York shows, KC audiences should expect show-stopping moments, a new hair color for the famous redhead, an emotional speech of thanks and perhaps a special guest.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ride-hailing giants Uber and Bolt are disrupting Kenya’s lucrative safari market with new services that are driving fears of price cuts among traditional tour operators.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cuban founded Cost Plus Drugs, a similar direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, in 2022 with the goal of disrupting the health care industry.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Adding to the action is a colorful, squirmy worm that will get kids laughing and moving.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
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The three of us kids quickly unraveled, laughing uncontrollably.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Billions of microbes are hard at work dissolving compounds in this giant mound of crushed ore from Escondida, the biggest copper mine on the planet.—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
1 Oct. 2025
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Evening light spills across the pollinator gardens—alive with bees, hummingbirds, and the occasional wandering chicken—before dissolving into the shimmer of the Mackinac Bridge.—
Christine Chitnis,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The move, sparked by expiring health benefits, ignited what could be a long bitter standoff, and ultimately furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers, although some workers will continue to receive pay.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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Groups of lawmakers have been huddling on the Senate floor and in hallways around the chamber working to craft a compromise to reopen government and extend the expiring health care tax credits and subsidies.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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