broken up 1 of 2

broken up

2 of 2

verb

past participle 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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
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
6
7

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 broken up
Verb
Dartmouth drove to the Lehigh 22-yard line on the ensuing possession, but Grayson Saunier's fourth-down pass was broken up. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 In an August 2026 census of both red and blue dots broken up into different eras, Kocevski of Colby College and his collaborators found exactly that pattern. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 MomTok has convened at Jen’s because Taylor has allegedly broken up with Dakota for good. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Peli and the girlfriend who lived with him had broken up, and Staci visited the house after the film’s release. — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 During the same period, Justin Fields had a pass intended for wide receiver Jason Brownlee broken up by cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McAllister. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026 That was broken up by Owens, who stomped Gunther and then caught him with a big clothesline. — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 His deepest attempt, for tight end Terrance Ferguson, was broken up by cornerback Cam Lampkin. — Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026 Two strong innings by McLean were broken up by a leadoff homer by Kyle Tucker, the outfielder who nearly signed with the Mets until a last-minute decision to sign a free agent contract with the two-time defending World Series champs. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
  • The former Republican governor of Massachusetts was hired in 2023 to succeed Mark Emmert, bringing to the job something the NCAA had come to value even more than knowledge of college athletics—experience navigating a divided government.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Democrats remain divided over whether to reform ICE or to abolish it.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994, and afterwards, Nirvana’s surviving members disbanded.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Justice Department, for instance, decimated its elite Public Integrity Section in early 2025 while the FBI disbanded a white-collar fraud and public corruption squad based out of its Washington field office.
    — PATRICK WHITTLE, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Over the course of Next Gen NYC’s season, which ended this past week, the model Ava Dash grabs a slice of pizza on Fulton Street; strolls through the Seaport; and calls her father, the hip-hop mogul Damon Dash, from a bench at Pier 17.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But the optics changed for James — a four-time NBA champion who has won titles with three different teams — once the Knicks ended their drought without needing his help.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The new stops designed to accommodate bikes and buses are about five inches off the ground and separated from the road by a curb.
    — Barbara Kingsley-Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • At temperate northern latitudes, consecutive moonrises around Harvest Moon can therefore be separated by much less than the usual 50 minutes, and at some northern locations by only a few minutes.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Victoria’s Secret Angels ate crispy rice tuna and cracked open layered chocolate-and-ice-cream desserts.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Could Disney+ be keeping the door cracked open for a potential season three?
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Like swimming, Golden's involvement with the university never stopped, either.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The experiment eventually stopped when the catholyte gelled and blocked the flow channel.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine disrupted steel supplies, upended supply chains, and sent costs soaring.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drought has disrupted berry crops and other natural food sources that bears depend on, sending them closer to humans and into garage cans, bird feeders and chicken coops.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Brandy and Goldberg smiled and giggled throughout the entire show, full of joy as the models twirled and commanded the runway in pieces ranging from cocktail dresses to red carpet-worthy gowns.
    — Anika Reed, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Say Cheese Frances giggled through another fruit song (this one about a banana) with her Papa.
    — Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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