as in divided
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Dissimilar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ended
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 separated
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in stopped
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in giggled
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broken up
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
And so my surreal day-to-day, a regular life broken up by suspensions of my rights, stopped mattering.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Bands that had broken up have reformed, playing bigger venues than ever and creating some of the best music of their careers.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
In a medium bowl, mash cream cheese with a fork until broken up.
—Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Some at Intel still believe the company should be broken up, to split manufacturing and product design and accelerate progress.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the Canes’ forecheck attempts were broken up by Ottawa, Ehlers’ puck-moving and transition game came in clutch.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The soil must be broken up or aerated so moisture can penetrate the surface.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
It’s broken up into elements water, fire, earth and void.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
His perfect parade was broken up by an error in the fourth inning when miscommunication between Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker led to Trea Turner’s fly ball glancing off Tucker’s glove and dropping to the warning track uncaught.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
And so my surreal day-to-day, a regular life broken up by suspensions of my rights, stopped mattering.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Bands that had broken up have reformed, playing bigger venues than ever and creating some of the best music of their careers.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
In a medium bowl, mash cream cheese with a fork until broken up.
—Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Some at Intel still believe the company should be broken up, to split manufacturing and product design and accelerate progress.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the Canes’ forecheck attempts were broken up by Ottawa, Ehlers’ puck-moving and transition game came in clutch.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The soil must be broken up or aerated so moisture can penetrate the surface.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
It’s broken up into elements water, fire, earth and void.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
-
Legislation on anything touching crypto moves at the pace of a divided Congress.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The sentiment from those athletic directors and presidents who OutKick has spoken with in recent weeks is a divided one, but not in a hostile way.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Baldwin previously served as the president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Fort Worth, a political group for LGBTQ Republicans that has since disbanded because Baldwin said it wasn’t welcomed into the party.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
-
Longtime riding groups have disbanded.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Last season, Granada Hills ended a three-game losing streak to the Colts.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Garrincha was the best player at that World Cup, scoring four times and leading the attack after an injury sustained in the group phase ended Pelé’s involvement.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Across the half mile that separated us, the stern gaze of the villagers was an impediment to our meeting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Customers entering the store in Queens, some 45 minutes east of midtown Manhattan, were immediately greeted with three tables of dedicated Knicks Finals merchandise, with T-shirts separated by gender and size.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Financial assets accumulated over the years through oil and gas sales have been cracked open to help fund the effort, and state funds pour into the development of the latest military technologies — such as kamikaze drones.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
The Tequila features aromas of fresh agave, cracked white pepper, citrus zest, and light, earthy tones, with a faint smokiness in the background.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Not that long after, a guard near the New York Stock Exchange stopped me.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
-
Stosic delivered one giant hammer fist to Hardy’s jaw and the referee came in and stopped the bout.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Fragmented sleep, irregular sleep timing, and disrupted circadian rhythms can all negatively affect your health.—
Brian Mastroianni,
Health,
2 June 2026
-
Spurs deserve credit for acting swiftly and learning their lessons from last summer when the uncertainty over the future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou disrupted their plans and contributed to them missing out on key targets.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
As Spade giggled in her first-class seat, Shuter asked what could possibly be so funny in the magazine.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
-
Aaron Boone, meanwhile, giggled over the way Sterling reacted to getting hit by a foul ball in the booth in 2023.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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