broke up

past tense of break up
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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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

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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 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 Joyce broke up Kiefer’s outs streak with a single down the first base line and Ryan singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 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
  • Byron Sigcho-Lopez invoked a rule that required the meeting to be disbanded because too few aldermen were present.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
  • In 2012, the commission was incorporated into the Tourism Authority and disbanded during severe budget cuts.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • In the months before the shooting, Mangione’s once active online presence stopped, and his mother filed a missing persons’ report.
    Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks.
    Robert Blankenship, The Washington Examiner, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • The three are divided by mountain ranges and rock formations, and drawdown in one doesn't represent groundwater losses for the other, the state water department told The Arizona Republic in a statement.
    Clara Migoya, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
  • People in the comments section are divided over who is wrong in the situation, although many agree that the two no longer seem to be compatible.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Bullets had cracked his pelvis, shattered the back of his spinal column and torn through his leg, intestines and kidney.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 June 2026
  • His helmet was smashed and cracked through.
    Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • But habitat became inconsequential when the animals ceased to exist.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • However, amid the worsening violence and frequent attacks at the ports, a number of shipping lines have ceased calling directly on Port-au-Prince and instead route cargo through regional hubs such as Jamaica before transferring to smaller feeder vessels.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • And of how Iran’s preparation for this World Cup has been disrupted, this is definitely among the more minor.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Travelers whose flights are disrupted should keep an eye out for change fee waivers and rebooking options from their airline.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • For four hours, the group of artists laughed, drank, and debated their position in the rapidly shifting cultural landscape.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 June 2026
  • The shortstop, looking down, laughed.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The organization was dissolved and removed from the register of charities in 2024.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 June 2026
  • Something invisible dissolved in a syringe confronts something invisible inside someone—and an event doesn’t happen.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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