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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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The legislation also stops courts from considering religious codes, including Islamic Sharia law, in legal cases.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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The fun on 404 Day stops with Atlanta United.—
Amna Subhan,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When access to capital is restricted, wealth becomes more concentrated and the powerful engine of growth becomes a force that divides rather than elevates us all.—
Jacob Walthour,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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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.—
Iyaz Akhtar,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But this idea cracks the Standard Model in a different way, and the simplest patch is to add another slightly ambidextrous, but mostly right-handed, sterile neutrino.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
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But this celebration of the joys (and practical value) of gardening is also laced with comedy, as Galifianakis cracks plenty of jokes with the experts and kids joining him amongst the greenery.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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In a different scenario, assigned a probability of 60%, the conflict ceases at the end of this month and oil prices fall quickly.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Airlines around the world have been grappling with volatile oil markets as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supplies.—
Rio Yamat,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
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Spilling kills ocean wildlife, fouls beaches and disrupts coastal economies.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
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Henry takes in Link, who at this point is a teenager and laughs him off.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Until the lava of the bird’s stomach melts her valiant resins, dissolves her nomadic strength, and transforms her into a viscous secretion.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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The powder dissolves easily in your beverage of choice and is excellent for skin, nail, hair and joint support.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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