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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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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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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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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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
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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
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The county also divides properties into appraisal neighborhoods, which may not match how homeowners think about their communities.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
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The food and drink Culinary offerings track the seasons through the ancient Japanese calendar, which divides the year into 72 micro-seasons.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gwen then cracks a joke about firing Del Rio's character.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
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There is a $100,000 reward for information that cracks the case.—
Michael Ruiz , Amanda Macias,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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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Daylight saving time disrupts the circadian rhythms of the human body, and the abrupt time change has been linked to higher risk of mood disorders and heart diseases, according to the organization.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
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All of these subtle discomforts can lead to more tossing and turning, creating a ripple effect that disrupts your sleep and your energy level the following day.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
3 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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Yet in the climate Tracey describes, nuance dissolves quickly.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
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Soluble fiber dissolves in your gut, forming a gel-like substance that slows digestion.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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