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
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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
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
-
When policy, innovation, and business insight align, CCU stops being a piece of green rhetoric and becomes good business.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The buck stops with the humans.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The jet stream divides the country in two, bringing wetter weather to the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The 45-year-old Shears now divides his time between London and New Orleans, is a founding member of the pop and glam rock band Scissor Sisters.—
Adam Bell,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Apple will be there waiting, sitting on a mountain of cash, ready to partner with (or outright acquire) whichever operation cracks the code.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For example, Harvard barely cracks the top 30.—
Bruno V. Manno,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Without any of the three, money once again ceases to circulate.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Some of the details may subtly shift between each retelling, but the story always remains the same and never ceases to grab attention.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Incomplete or inconsistent data disrupts workflows and triggers irrelevant follow-ups.—
Al Sefati,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
And there’s the impact of climate change itself, which disrupts seasonal temperature change routines.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Everyone laughs about Laura’s over-protectiveness; her suffocating affection is a joke.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Wan laughs when recalling the day.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The installation dissolves the fourth wall, bringing viewers into the heart of the performance with hyperreal dancers from Company Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet in a unique soundscape by Invisible Mountain.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sources said Bessent is waiting to interview current Fed members until after the blackout period surrounding next week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting ends.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Atlanta Braves have a difficult decision to make with manager Brian Snitker once the season ends.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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