as in divided
Related Words
Relevance
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
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 stopped
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broken up
Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Ole Miss desperately moved down the field, but its final pass attempt was broken up in the end zone with Ethan O’Connor and Zechariah Poyser in coverage.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The couple who are broken up put on a charade for friends to ensure that their yearly trip to Maine goes smoothly.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The stark black silhouette is broken up by an oak handle to add some visual interest.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
The pastel hues are broken up at the bottom of this pair with burgundy rubber below the shoe’s signature Abzorb SBS cushioning pods.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The administration, however, views public schools as a monopoly that should be broken up.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Citizens broke ground on the DigIndy project in 2013 and started with mining the tunnel system, which was broken up into different sections.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Lyrics from the project prompted concerns that the band, which also includes Taylor York and Zac Farro, had broken up.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
Even with All-American Bishop Fitzgerald and future NFL player Kamari Ramsey at safety, USC’s defense ranked 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams in passes broken up with 30.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
Ole Miss desperately moved down the field, but its final pass attempt was broken up in the end zone with Ethan O’Connor and Zechariah Poyser in coverage.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The couple who are broken up put on a charade for friends to ensure that their yearly trip to Maine goes smoothly.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
The stark black silhouette is broken up by an oak handle to add some visual interest.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025
The pastel hues are broken up at the bottom of this pair with burgundy rubber below the shoe’s signature Abzorb SBS cushioning pods.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The administration, however, views public schools as a monopoly that should be broken up.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Citizens broke ground on the DigIndy project in 2013 and started with mining the tunnel system, which was broken up into different sections.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
Lyrics from the project prompted concerns that the band, which also includes Taylor York and Zac Farro, had broken up.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
-
While the Democratic field for governor has only become larger and more divided in recent months, the primary Republican options have remained Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Her video, which now has more than 500,000 views on TikTok, sparked some divided takes in the comments.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On February 25, 1986, after four days of protests along Manila’s Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the Marcoses jetted to exile in Hawaii, and the barangay militias disbanded.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Relations between the three soured in 2021 and following Rooney’s DUI arrest that September, the group quietly disbanded.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The chase ended when the vehicle broke down near Buena Vista Road and Westside Boulevard.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
All six of his title fights under the WSOF banner ended by knockout.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What's more, when that bark is modified with inexpensive magnetite (iron oxide), it can be easily separated from the water for reuse after treatment.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2026
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After the deal closes, the companies are expected to be separated into two businesses, with one focusing on coffee and the other on beverages.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Earlier in the night, host Nikki Glaser cracked a joke about the show's hype.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Host Nikki Glaser cracked jokes about a range of political topics during her opening monologue, from the Jeffrey Epstein files to controversy surrounding CBS News.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ross, who was one of several federal agents involved in the arrest, initially drew his service weapon, but holstered the gun after Muñoz-Guatemala stopped his car and raised his hands, according to the affidavit.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Braddy stopped the car, got Quantisha back inside, and put Shandelle in the trunk, before driving for 30 to 45 minutes.—
Nicole Acosta,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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American said Monday that five of its nine hub airports were disrupted by the storm, including its largest hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.—
Laya Neelakandan,Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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If your travel is or was disrupted, here’s what airlines owe you for the inconvenience.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the nearly six-minute-long video, the brother-sister duo giggled at their family memories, which included moments from school, at home, on vacation with their parents and more.—
Francesca Gariano,
PEOPLE,
26 Dec. 2025
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And the tow truck went flying through the air as both boys giggled.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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