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
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
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
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
-
Davies, who also played keyboards and harmonica, carried the band forward after Hodgson's departure in 1983 but disbanded the group by the end of the decade.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The group released eight studio albums together, but in 1980, following Bonham’s death, Led Zeppelin disbanded.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When asked why all shoppers didn’t get the notice, an Amazon spokesperson said the notice was sent to customers who registered for the Prime Invitee Program between the program's launch in 2009 and 2015, when the program stopped accepting new members.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Providence is on a mission after being stopped two years in a row in the supersectional round.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The resort is divided into domestic and international zones.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Choose the Right Varieties Garlic is divided into two main categories, and there are numerous cultivars of each type to choose from.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But often, someone cracked the door and a conversation started.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
However, thanks to the sharpest images yet from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), researchers have finally cracked part of this puzzle.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When the gunfire ceased, additional resources were deployed to safely enter the residence, where Poulter was found deceased, police reported.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The celebration of these paintings has never ceased.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And while those enforcement actions have not yet translated into criminal cases or fines against the employers, the raids themselves in some cases significantly disrupted business operations.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Muscle cramps and playing surfaces As muscles fatigue, the normal balance between signals in the nervous system that direct muscles to contract and relax become disrupted.—
Michael Hales,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Prescott first spat at the ground in Carter’s direction, smiled and laughed.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Levack laughed remembering Miller’s idea.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Al-Gameya Al-Shareya was among more than 1,000 civil society groups blacklisted in the crackdown, court filings say, and chapters suspected of helping the Brotherhood during elections were dissolved.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
-
As part of the order from the state judge approving the settlement, a preliminary injunction that prevented the UIA from engaging in collection efforts was dissolved.—
Adrienne Roberts,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share