BROKE UP Synonyms: 279 Similar and Opposite Words

broke up

verb

past tense of break up

as in disbanded

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

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as in stopped

to come to an end the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed

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as in divided

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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as in cracked

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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as in ceased

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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as in disrupted

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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as in laughed

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of broke up Married Zack Goytowski and Bliss Poureetezadi had one of the stranger journeys on Love Is Blind, mainly because Zack initially broke up with Bliss in favor of Irina Solomonova, who proved herself to be perhaps the meanest contestant in the show's history. —

Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 Kylie broke up with Scott in the fall of 2019, spent quarantine with him to co-parent Stormi, recoupled in mid-2021, and welcomed Aire in February 2022, all before breaking up for good around the holidays. —

Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026 Last year in Tennessee, Baker made 55 tackles and broke up seven passes without an interception in his 10 starts. —

David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026 During four seasons with the Chiefs, McDuffie forced eight fumbles, three interceptions and broke up 34 passes. —

Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026 Rodgers and Woodley were engaged in 2021, but called off their wedding plans in 2022 and later broke up. —

Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Mar. 2026 Hole, whose two most consistent members were Love and guitarist Eric Erlandson, broke up officially in 2002. —

Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026 In real life, the Kennedy scion did receive such a letter and broke up with then-girlfriend Bessette as a result. —

Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 4 Mar. 2026 The score remained the same after the second period before Toronto (27-23-9) broke up Bobrovsky’s shutout bid on a John Tavares power-play goal 47 seconds into the third period on a shot that bounced off Florida defenseman Gustav Forsling and into the Panthers’ net. —

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up

Verb

Order 2 disbanded the Iraqi army but did not disarm it.

— Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
The Florida revelations came after the statewide New York Young Republicans chapter was disbanded last fall after antisemitic and racist messages between chapter leadership were leaked to the press.

— Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026