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
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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
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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
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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
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, 1 Oct. 2025
The Replacements broke up in 1991, though Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson toured together under the band name from 2013-15.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Linebacker Jack Sanborn broke up Love’s pass to Golden, and the ball immediately hit the ground.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
But the speakers broke up and distorted at this volume.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2025
The couple ultimately broke up, and the fashion influencer noted that was a storyline that was difficult to share.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Police reported Sunday there was no evidence of shots being fired; however, officers broke up several fights among juveniles while on scene.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Oct. 2025
The Replacements broke up in 1991, though Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson toured together under the band name from 2013-15.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Linebacker Jack Sanborn broke up Love’s pass to Golden, and the ball immediately hit the ground.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
But the speakers broke up and distorted at this volume.
—Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2025
The couple ultimately broke up, and the fashion influencer noted that was a storyline that was difficult to share.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
Police reported Sunday there was no evidence of shots being fired; however, officers broke up several fights among juveniles while on scene.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 16 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up
Verb
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The section that investigates public corruption has been gutted, while the bureau's premier public corruption unit has been disbanded.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Many activists and journalists were imprisoned, press freedoms curtailed, organizations disbanded, and the Umbrella Movement was thoroughly crushed.—
Peter Leyden,
Big Think,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But as the months have passed, Juni has stopped stashing food, loves to nap, and seems so much more at ease.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Carelessness and accidents happen, however, so take some time with each season to go through items and toss anything that’s faded, shattered, or stopped working.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The votes of the parties that did not make it into parliament will be divided proportionately, meaning PAS will end up with several seats more than a bare majority of 51.—
John E. Herbst,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While critics were divided at the time, Casper became a box office hit and earned its place as a nostalgic favorite for '90s kids.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The rotation cracked cans, celebrating the biggest start of Yesavage’s life.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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On October 6th, the Aries Full Moon rises, bringing to culmination storylines that began back on March 29th, 2025, when the Aries Solar Eclipse cracked open new paths for us.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, closed its doors to the public on October 5, six days after the federal government ceased operations following the failure of Republicans and Democrats to agree on a spending bill.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 Oct. 2025
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But by this time, Leo, too, had ceased to be his sister’s confidant.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The rise of streaming and shifting business models have disrupted the rhythms on which many of us built stable careers, and production has become increasingly global and complex.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
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On one hand, companies like Upwork and Fiverr have suffered as generative AI has disrupted simple contract jobs like copyediting and translation.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Reporters in the Brady Room earlier this week were greeted by the meme on a loop; the vice president, addressing them on the shutdown, laughed at Democrats who were offended by the trope.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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But sticking it out ended up being beneficial, because those classmates who laughed at his antics became his first audience.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Coalitions are formed and dissolved regularly, not always in a very amiable way, but nothing so far has undermined our new reality of equal coexistence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a contract extension for the Sheriff’s Office to provide services in Isleton, which dissolved its police force in 2012 due to financial restraints.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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