1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopped
to come to an end
the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in disrupted
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broke up
Eventually, Aaron broke up with her.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
On the other side of the ball, Flowers, a defensive back, broke up a pass in the waning minutes.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
Styles was most recently linked to Taylor Russell, though the three-time Grammy winner and the Bones and All actress, 31, broke up in May 2024 after less than a year of dating.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The Beatles fill four spaces on the Official Physical Singles chart this week — an incredible sum for a group that broke up in the 1970s.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Jeff McNeil, Francisco Alvarez and Starling Marte have been producing in the absence of the Mets’ big bats, but Soto was the one who broke up the no-hitter in the ninth inning last week against the Cleveland Guardians, and Soto is the one Mets fans are counting on to make something happen.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
Their affair broke up the band Attila, which impacted Joel’s mental health.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
On the other side of the ball, Flowers, a defensive back, broke up a pass in the waning minutes.
—Noah White, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025
Styles was most recently linked to Taylor Russell, though the three-time Grammy winner and the Bones and All actress, 31, broke up in May 2024 after less than a year of dating.
—Jen Juneau, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The Beatles fill four spaces on the Official Physical Singles chart this week — an incredible sum for a group that broke up in the 1970s.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Jeff McNeil, Francisco Alvarez and Starling Marte have been producing in the absence of the Mets’ big bats, but Soto was the one who broke up the no-hitter in the ninth inning last week against the Cleveland Guardians, and Soto is the one Mets fans are counting on to make something happen.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
Their affair broke up the band Attila, which impacted Joel’s mental health.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up
Verb
-
Despite being signed to the culture-changing label Sub Pop for four albums in the 2000s, Fruit Bats never achieved the same level of acclaim as many of their labelmates, like the Shins and Sleater Kinney, and Johnson disbanded the collective at the end of its 2013 tour.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The structure is the band reunion and countdown to a final concert by Spinal Tap, who we are told disbanded 15 years ago.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That alone is amazing, said Timbrook, Depue and a representative for the soft body armor vest that stopped a bullet from piercing the officer’s chest.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Clearly, when the justice reform was stopped was one point in time, in [20]21.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
According to convention, all money is divided into M0 (the monetary base), M1 which includes M0 and on demand bank deposits and M2 which includes M1 and money market funds and timed deposits such as CDs.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The site consists primarily of 10,900 square feet of office spaces that can be divided into as many as four office suites, according to a marketing brochure that Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm, had circulated.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And some people are just a little cracked and would rather live their life at night.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Beesley was in the middle of the crowd, around 10 yards away from Kirk, when the sound of the rifle round cracked in the air.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In 2022, things came to a head when the company not only failed to pay its vendors but also ceased communication with their customers.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
At some point in the middle of Andersen’s speech, the shots from the range next door had ceased to startle me.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Europe accelerated spending on renewables and energy efficiency after Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted natural gas supplies.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Foreign business confidence in China has declined since Covid-19 when pandemic restrictions disrupted supply chains — the domestic economy has remained sluggish, dragged down by a real estate slump and overcapacity in industrial sectors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Close enough to feel, far enough that our guides only laughed.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Seinfeld said sarcastically to the hecklers as the audience laughed and cheered.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In Indianapolis, the Broncos’ elation dissolved into disbelief after what appeared to be a last-second win over the Colts — thanks to Indy kicker Spencer Shrader pushing a 60-yard field goal wide right as time expired — instead became a cruel lesson in the intricacies of the NFL rulebook.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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If the stain isn’t completely dissolved by the end, at the very least, this method will dilute the mark significantly.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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