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
When the ice breaks up in spring, the water in a lake begins what is commonly called a turnover.
—
Jack G. Mell,
Outdoor Life,
2 July 2026
So, for instance, in a situation where somebody is no longer with us or somebody leaves a band or a band breaks up.
—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
The new map breaks up the state’s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state’s only majority-Black district.
—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
Sometimes your boyfriend breaks up with you to be with an older divorced mom and that's a good thing.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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
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
Jack G. Mell,
Outdoor Life,
2 July 2026
So, for instance, in a situation where somebody is no longer with us or somebody leaves a band or a band breaks up.
—
Jim Ryan,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
The new map breaks up the state’s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state’s only majority-Black district.
—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 May 2026
Sometimes your boyfriend breaks up with you to be with an older divorced mom and that's a good thing.
—
Sean Joseph Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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
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.
-
DiCaprio plays Bob, a revolutionary in hiding with his teen daughter (Chase Infiniti) after his activist group the French 75 disbands in chaos.
Verb
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Santorini stops being only a view and starts behaving like a place again.
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Workforce needs, customer expectations, and business conditions evolve, and leaders have to be willing to adjust if the model stops delivering results.
Verb
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What divides them is the type of finance work being transformed.
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Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, ridden with landmines and monitored by soldiers on both sides.
Verb
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Holmes deduces that each pose represents a letter and cracks the code by matching the most common poses with the most common letters.
-
There was one where the both managers got ejected in the same moment, which cracks me up.
Verb
-
This is not only devastating because Aang appears fatally injured, but because if an Avatar dies in the Avatar State, the entire cycle of Avatar reincarnation ceases and the earth’s balance is forever lost.
-
What is surprising—indeed, almost shocking—is when a particular fashion ceases to change.
Verb
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Live Local also disrupts years of successful and careful planning by the city to promote compatible, consistent development in neighborhoods like Wynwood.
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After all, the status quo looks safer than making a big bet on something that disrupts everything from operations to revenue.
Verb
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Clive Davis was the most humble man in the music business [laughs].
-
Kylie laughs and throws another cupful.
Verb
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Ever settle in for movie night, hit play, and thirty seconds later, the picture dissolves into a blurry mess of pixels?
-
Then the ball flies, and the thought dissolves into applause.
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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