broke up

Definition of broke upnext
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 The open-air format also broke up the usual audience structure. Yook Jihun, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026 His girlfriend broke up with him. Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026 The pair ended the show engaged but broke up in October 2021. Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026 The grey added dimension and broke up the look in the best way. Mecca Pryor, Essence, 17 Mar. 2026 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, 12 Mar. 2026 Kylie broke up with Scott in the fall of 2019, spent quarantine with him to co-parent Stormi, recoupled in mid-2021, and welcomed Aire in February 2022, all before breaking up for good around the holidays. Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026 Last year in Tennessee, Baker made 55 tackles and broke up seven passes without an interception in his 10 starts. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026 During four seasons with the Chiefs, McDuffie forced eight fumbles, three interceptions and broke up 34 passes. Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up
Verb
  • The hearing occurred the same day that CBS News imposed another sweeping round of layoffs and disbanded its CBS News radio network.
    Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The commission has been disbanded, and the lottery is now overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
    Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through it, but attacks on ships have stopped nearly all tanker traffic.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Greaves finished with 21 saves for Columbus, which had its four-game winning streak and 12-game points streak stopped.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The use of social media by young people has divided tech executives.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Today there are more than 30 million Kurds in a contiguous area in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey divided by external borders and historic internal differences.
    Jane Arraf, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But the research center team has already cracked the code by designing a transparent hull that balances structural integrity with a 360-degree view.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Five Bruins landed in the first round, and four cracked the top 10.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Van Ackers delivered photos of the spouting fountain, which had ceased operating in 2012, to every member of the California Legislature.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Commercial traffic through the maritime chokepoint has virtually ceased since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Iran vowing to strike any vessels associated with the two countries or their partners.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Middle East crisis has severely disrupted oil exports through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) and represents a key choke point for fertilizer trade.
    Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Energy prices are volatile as the Iran conflict has disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
    Derek Chollet, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In particular, cast member Heidi Gardner at one point laughed so hard that the sketch ground to a halt for about 20 seconds, as the audience cheered with delight.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
  • And for those who loved him, who grew up with him, who laughed at the jokes and meant every one of them as a compliment — he will not be easily forgotten.
    Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The Hiram community is coming together to lay out concerns and solutions after a state senate bill called on the city to be dissolved.
    Monique John, CBS News, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Late last year, the administration essentially dissolved the team dedicated to criminal tax enforcement, dividing responsibility among a number of other offices and divisions.
    Avi Asher-Schapiro, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 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 29 Mar. 2026.

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