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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 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
-
And once the dog is found, the Search Party network disbands.—
Mike Feibus,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
There’s a long inner liner that stops a few inches short of the hem, offering calf-length coverage.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Feb. 2026
-
If Chipotle stops producing them, these chairs might appreciate to become a solid investment.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The company divides services into distinct phases — typically including investigation, resolution and ongoing support — helping taxpayers understand how their case progresses from evaluation to resolution.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital said the two men were hit near the ceasefire line that divides Gaza, with one half under Israeli military control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There is a $100,000 reward for information that cracks the case.—
Michael Ruiz , Amanda Macias,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Saodimallsu Women's Button-Down Cardigan Sweater My 15-year-old is currently big into cardigans, which cracks me up a little because my signature look at 15 also happened to be cardigan sweaters.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Such desires can persist even after the reward itself ceases to be pleasurable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Once the prisoner ceases his danse macabre, the crowd goes wild.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Recent weather extremes in the South and East are examples of what global warming can cause — a warmer Arctic that disrupts the polar vortex and pushes cold weather and snow farther south.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Bad Bunny disrupts this pattern by refusing separation between cultural celebration and political truth.—
Dr. Carlos A Torre,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But when the players make plans, Alan Cumming laughs — so even though Rob is particularly well positioned, there’s still plenty of time for things to go left.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Robbie laughs, despite likely having heard the story before.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The plastic that encases laundry pods dissolves and rinses out with the excess water.—
Katelyn Chef,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Each dissolves in under three seconds.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
