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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov broke up the play, however, leading to a corner.
—
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Later, in 7-on-7, Gilman broke up a Mahomes pass intended for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
—
Pete Sweeney
june 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Law enforcement broke up emotional swells from people on both sides.
—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
The pair officially broke up for the first time in January 2004 and remained friendly in between.
—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Hoyos also praised defensive midfielder Yannick Bright, who broke up countless Cincinnati plays, stole passes and sent the ball into the attack time and time again.
—
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
The former couple broke up in 2018.
—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
By then, the Golden Knights recovered and broke up the play, and the Ducks never even got a shot on goal.
—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Four people were wounded in a shooting at the park in Arden Arcade, where several hundred people had gathered as law enforcement broke up the crowd.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Monica Alba,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
Later, in 7-on-7, Gilman broke up a Mahomes pass intended for wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
—
Pete Sweeney
june 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Law enforcement broke up emotional swells from people on both sides.
—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
The pair officially broke up for the first time in January 2004 and remained friendly in between.
—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Hoyos also praised defensive midfielder Yannick Bright, who broke up countless Cincinnati plays, stole passes and sent the ball into the attack time and time again.
—
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
The former couple broke up in 2018.
—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
By then, the Golden Knights recovered and broke up the play, and the Ducks never even got a shot on goal.
—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Four people were wounded in a shooting at the park in Arden Arcade, where several hundred people had gathered as law enforcement broke up the crowd.
—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up
Verb
-
After the Ballet Russe disbanded, Monson de Kansky toured with the Marquis de Cuevas ballet company for nine years.
-
The same was true of John Ferreira, the incredibly hard-working FBI special agent who kept the investigation going years after the ELF had disbanded.
Verb
-
Large car rally disrupted in Baltimore Police said 36 traffic citations were issued and 54 vehicles were stopped after a large gathering of vehicles in the 1000 block of Wilson Drive in South Baltimore.
-
The victim in the latest attack had stopped to swim with her boyfriend and friend in the Econlockhatchee River just north of Orlando Sunday afternoon when the alligator bit her, the FWC said in a press briefing.
Verb
-
Congressional Republicans were divided over the Supreme Court’s Tuesday decision to strike down an executive order seeking to limit birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
-
Countless individual tread blocks, divided by wide grooves, wriggled around instead of digging in.
Verb
-
In the month since the crisis, residents in the surrounding area have continued to voice their displeasure with GKN Aerospace and the risk placed outside of their homes after the tank cracked.
-
The concrete is cracked from decades of Delta heat and the weight of cars parked on top of it.
Verb
-
While nearly 3,500 newspapers have ceased publication during the new millennium, the Daily Herald is nonetheless joining a growing chain in a shrinking industry.
-
Serious headwinds Last July, months after construction at the site ceased, giving way to 4-foot-tall weeds, Bryant said that although the company had raised $9 million from investors, the project ran into serious headwinds.
Verb
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Meanwhile, its medium-range drones have also disrupted Russia’s supply lines to the front, and its long-range strikes have increasingly damaged Russian oil facilities that provide vital revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.
-
Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Verb
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The actor laughed while recalling one of the more unusual consequences of the franchise's popularity.
-
Carrie Warick-Smith, at the Association of Community College Trustees, laughed ruefully when she was asked when that journey — and the free money to start it — might actually begin.
Verb
-
The government is required to allot 90 days between the dissolution of the Knesset and the election, so the latest possible day the parliament can be dissolved is July 29.
-
Directed by Son Jae-gon and starring Gang Dong-won, Uhm Tae-goo, and Park Ji-hyun, the film tracks a faded first-generation K-pop co-ed dance trio making a reckless attempt to stage a comeback two decades after a plagiarism scandal dissolved their careers.
Cite this Entry
“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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