1
as in disbands
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 stops
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 divides
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 cracks
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 ceases
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 disrupts
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 laughs
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 breaks up
While Sam begins hallucinating people as puppets, Justin breaks up with him.
—
Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Needless to say, Bobby breaks up with her later.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Needless to say, Bobby breaks up with her later.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks up
Verb
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And once the dog is found, the Search Party network disbands.—
Mike Feibus,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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DiCaprio plays Bob, a revolutionary in hiding with his teen daughter (Chase Infiniti) after his activist group the French 75 disbands in chaos.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This creates a temporary, dynamic obstacle that slows other molecules or stops them from moving through.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Also, back home, Lip Smacking now offers a foodie tour in San Jose – at Santana Row – which stops at four of the center’s top restaurants.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The story centers on the daughter of a water tycoon who joins forces with a township gangster to challenge the powerful system that divides their society.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
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That spell was broken on Thursday with five People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft operating around the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours, according to Taiwan’s military, with several flying near the median line that divides the waterway.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The deal cracks the seven figures, to be split by the writers.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
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Gwen then cracks a joke about firing Del Rio's character.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Time ceases to exist in a place like this.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Schumer must not cave to the GOP and keep the Department of Homeland Security shuttered until this ceases.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The back line compresses space, the midfield disrupts passing lanes and Ferree has commanded his box with composure beyond his years.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Alcohol disrupts a person’s motor skills, which can affect their control of their vehicle.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tony Benna, listening on the same Zoom call, laughs at the story.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2026
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Jean Franklin, center, laughs with her sons, Louis (right) and Charlie, and Charlie's girlfriend, Masha Billingsley.—
Christine Mai-Duc,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its apparently smooth screen quickly dissolves into a jiggling lattice of molecules, which in turn resolve into clouds of electrons buzzing around atomic nuclei.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
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As the sky dissolves into purples and oranges, breaks appear in the water's surface.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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