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
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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
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
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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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaks up
The Gap Factory Relaxed Linen-blend Wide-leg Pants, now 50 percent off, come in a vibrant hot pink that instantly breaks up a neutral-heavy suitcase and adds a playful pop for spring and summer itineraries.
—
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
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
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
-
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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Once the larger transfer is sent, the account suddenly stops responding.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The grinder is operated with one touch and automatically stops when your grounds are ready to go.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Season 3 President Reagan and Soviet Premier Andropov sign lunar peace treaty which essentially divides the Moon between them.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Beverage director Jax Donahue divides the cocktail menu between classics and two rotating destinations (recently from San Francisco to Mexico City).—
Chris Malloy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That the New York DMA was in the mix is particularly noteworthy, as Gotham rarely cracks even the Super Bowl’s top-20 local markets—a function of its sheer size.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Rhea has a wondrous laugh, which cracks the air like a lightning bolt of joy.—
Britt Lower,
Time,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From Rue’s spiraling addiction to Maddy’s (Alexa Demie) fearless confidence, the cast of Euphoria never ceases to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Officials discussed both diplomatic and economic measures their countries could implement now and after the fighting ceases to help secure the shipping route, according to NPR's Fatima Al-Kassab.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Crude oil also disrupts animals’ nervous systems, Grosell added, impairing their senses and ability to navigate, process input, and properly orient themselves in their environment.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cornstarch disrupts the scent trails ants use to navigate.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One can see why wrestling appealed to him—the crowd is everything, the rules mean nothing, and the referees are so feckless that they often get knocked out and everyone laughs.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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In one snap, the foursome laughs as Crown Prince Christian pretends to grab his younger brother's neck.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Known as the planet of dreams, imagination and spirituality, Neptune dissolves boundaries and opens the door to intuition, creativity and higher inspiration.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
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This ideally should flush away completely once everything dissolves.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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