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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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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The pair officially broke up for the first time in January 2004 and remained friendly in between.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Rookie cornerbacks Jadon Canady and Mansoor Delane registered pass breakups during team drills, and third-year cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace batted down a pass at the line early in the workout.
—Pete Sweeney
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Watch parties became a go-to event for fans to observe their favorite contestants, make up, break up or get dumped from the island.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 28 May 2026
The pair officially broke up for the first time in January 2004 and remained friendly in between.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Noun
After William and Kate got engaged in late 2010, both spoke about their breakup during their engagement interview.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 May 2026
Rookie cornerbacks Jadon Canady and Mansoor Delane registered pass breakups during team drills, and third-year cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace batted down a pass at the line early in the workout.
—Pete Sweeney
may 28, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
-
Longtime riding groups have disbanded.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
1 June 2026
-
As a result, the government has disbanded the school’s board of management and will take appropriate legal and disciplinary action against any staff found to have neglected their duties, Ogamba said.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In order to secure the funds, the family members submitted fake financial instruments and money orders, continuing to do so even after the IRS sent them letters telling them to stop, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
-
The order, which Trump signed in private on June 2, stops short of mandating that the federal government conduct safety evaluations and cybersecurity testing for advanced AI products.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
It’s divided into five romances.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The price-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing the stock price by the consensus 12-months earnings projections on FactSet.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Minimizing soil disturbance is practiced in the springtime to loosen the soil by using a garden fork and sliding it into the soil at about a 30-degree angle, lifting up to just barely crack the soil.—
Special to The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
-
Then the German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch cracked industrial nitrogen fixation in 1909, and the practical significance of the problem receded.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Or maybe fun and games ceased some 20 years ago when Facebook, Twitter and Instagram launched and anonymous threats could be dispatched by anyone with an account.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Drone strikes on the UAE are still occurring sporadically, but the wide-scale alerts of the early conflict have ceased — along with the associated distress.—
Melanie Swan,
CNN Money,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Closure of the strait, at the southern end of the Red Sea and a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, could significantly disrupt global trade.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
The British Museum elected to postpone a Jewish Culture Month event that was scheduled to take place last Thursday, May 28th due to concerns that the talk—a lecture on Ancient Israel and Judah—might be disrupted by protests.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
So much of a family's focus narrows onto the child, but watching a brother, sister, or parent get to laugh again carries its own weight.—
Jon Youshaei,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
My musical theater peers would have been very hard on me [laughs].—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
With an upcoming split from the Rangers in the works, the team’s billionaire owner has a chance to cash in on the orange fever.—
Matt Craig,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
The current split is a 20-8 Republican advantage.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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