1
as in to disband
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 to stop
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 to divide
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 to crack
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 to cease
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 to disrupt
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 to laugh
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
as in split
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces
the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism pretty much signaled the end of the Cold War
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Carr pivoted on the snap, fired a slant to Fields, and Lee broke up the pass.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
But the bigger purpose of this residency is to celebrate not just an album but a career that survived romantic breakups, solo stardom for Stefani, tentative reunions and now a deserved victory lap.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Oliver Ekman-Larsson stretched his stick into the passing lane and broke up the pass.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Carr pivoted on the snap, fired a slant to Fields, and Lee broke up the pass.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
Noun
Evidently, breakups do not always make for the best music.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
But the bigger purpose of this residency is to celebrate not just an album but a career that survived romantic breakups, solo stardom for Stefani, tentative reunions and now a deserved victory lap.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
Vahl’s team is one of several cooperative teams set to be disbanded next fall due to an Illinois High School Association policy that disqualifies large cooperative teams from competing at the state level, according to Orland High School District 230 officials.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The force led to more than 300 arrests but was disbanded last year due to budget cuts, LAist reported.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
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This $20 maxi dress is versatile enough to serve multiple occasions and seasons—and shoppers can’t stop buying multiples of them.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
-
Goalkeeper Isabell Ikirt stopped a shot by Oconee County’s Sydney Jackson, prompting celebration by Jefferson, but the Dragons were told Ikirt had come off the line.—
Sarah Spencer,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The space is divided into six distinct environments, including a Dolby Atmos lounge for immersive, spatial audio, a gallery area for talks and panels, and a 'listening bar' where staff offer their own personal recommendations.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 May 2026
-
Colbert grilled the former president on the topic dividing the city, baseball.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Temperatures may crack the 90s in the interior areas closer to the Central Coast by Sunday but are more likely Monday, according to the weather service.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
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The case was finally cracked when an ICE DNA swab was entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database, triggering a direct match that led to his swift arrest.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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During his temporary leadership, FEMA ceased door-to-door canvassing to reach survivors after disasters, and canceled a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program, since restored by a federal judge.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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The 47,000-square-foot store has been vacant since last June, when retail operations ceased following parent company Kroger’s decision to close several Chicago-area and suburban stores.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Verb
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What’s next for I-77 South Carter-Adamson and Ivory were disappointed to hear that I-77 will once again disrupt lives around Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
-
Canvas outage disrupted students during finals The timing made the outage especially frustrating.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes laughing is better than crying.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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There wasn’t anyone that Anny Cho knew who lived and laughed as hard, who wanted to experience every minute of every day as much as her older brother.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
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During her testimony, Shehorn recalled a violent fight leading to their split as well as her successful efforts to obtain a restraining order against Pasqual.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Much as Vegas shifted momentum after looking like the lesser team during a split of Games 1 and 2, the Ducks would have to respond as the series progressed.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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