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
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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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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
Needless to say, Bobby breaks up with her later.
—
Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks up
Verb
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And the hope is that this creature, who's all set up to create chaos and violence, somehow stops that and changes it all.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
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With the right mix of competence and strategy, engineers can create careers that are both resilient and rewarding in a world that never stops changing.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s not all though; the inside of the bag offers a center zippered compartment, which divides the interior into three separate sections to organize your essentials.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
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In a nutshell, OFDMA divides channels into resource units (RUs), allowing for smaller data packets that can be transmitted to multiple users simultaneously.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For example, Harvard barely cracks the top 30.—
Bruno V. Manno,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Video of Bo Nix‘s rookie season plays on an endless loop — until, at last, someone cracks the code.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As compared to solar power, which ceases production at night, or wind power, which is dependent on weather conditions, the sea is in constant motion.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Sep. 2025
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But those will soon be gone, too, as the drugstore chain ceases to exist nationwide.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Communities across the world have started recognizing how the glow of artificial light disrupts not only our view of the cosmos but also the plants, animals, and ecosystems that have long relied on Earth’s natural rhythm of day and night.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Sep. 2025
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When a cyber incident disrupts flight operations, supply chain logistics or manufacturing processes, the cascading effects extend far beyond the immediate costs of remediation.—
Dan Sorensen,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Hiro, who is set to receive the TIFF Variety Artisan Award, laughs.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs with Max Muncy #13 after a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on August 26, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the cheer often dissolves when the matter of the school’s precarious stance with the White House comes up.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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Cook, stirring gently, until sugar dissolves, reaches a simmer, and becomes dark amber in color, 1 to 3 minutes.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Games Cowboys have to have When the season ultimately ends, or when there is talk of playoffs, this is one of those nights the Cowboys will look back on and curse themselves for not winning.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Nun ends on a flashback to a scene from The Conjuring, revealing that Ed and Lorraine performed an exorcism on Maurice, the man who helped Irene defeat Valak but ended up getting secretly possessed in the process.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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