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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
Their fluid shapes break up stacks of thin and wide bands, instantly adding depth and dimension to your look.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2025
Essence, 21 Aug. 2025
Even though Moscow and Beijing are now closely aligned, it would be shortsighted to presume this alignment will be enduring given their past enmity and the potential for a future breakup.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Just for old times’ sake, Ohtani broke up the shutout with a solo home run in the eighth inning.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
Their fluid shapes break up stacks of thin and wide bands, instantly adding depth and dimension to your look.
—Lauren Alexis Fisher, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
Parenting after a breakup isn’t always simple, especially when social media and privacy collide.
—Essence, 21 Aug. 2025
Even though Moscow and Beijing are now closely aligned, it would be shortsighted to presume this alignment will be enduring given their past enmity and the potential for a future breakup.
—Barry Scott Zellen, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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Since then, Chinese women have been working together online to investigate the channel – which has since been disbanded – and share tips on how to report its contents to authorities.—
CNN Staff 20 hr ago,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
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The remaining trio carried on briefly before disbanding for good a year later.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That means that education will continue to be a big part in stopping scammers.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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After that the Padres, out of nowhere, just stopped hitting.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Focused on expanding their notorious drug and money laundering organization outside of Detroit, their strained relationship has left the brothers divided.—
Giana Levy,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
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The idea of a playing captain, something not seen since Arnold Palmer led and competed in 1963, has divided opinion across the golf world.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Mexico cracked the top 10 for the first time since the report's inception in 2012—the year America peaked at 11th place.—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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Consider how most cookware manufacturers warn against heating empty pots, which can lead to cracking, warping, or even harmful fumes.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis ceased in April 2022, and both sides have maintained a truce that has been described as fragile but enduring.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Nashville Church of Christ, a nonprofit, acquired property of former downtown congregation Central Church of Christ through merger, and ceased in-person worship gatherings.—
Liam Adams,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Network bandwidth was a major concern—data transfers couldn’t disrupt production in any way.—
Apurva Wadodkar,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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While the effects of Trump's second presidency remain to be seen, his administration has already met its promise of disrupting the status quo of the federal government.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Rachael said Lylah will sit on anyone's lap and lick them until the lucky recipients start laughing.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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It will be derided, defended, laughed at, and — who knows?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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After decades of success and a GRAMMY win, Hinds left the group this year, at first announcing the split in a cordial joint statement, but later claiming he was kicked out and blasting his former bandmates.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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The two, who dated for approximately nine years and share one daughter, Daisy Dove Bloom, split in June 2025 after reports there were multiple breakups and things weren’t doing that well before their final split.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.
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