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
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
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
28 June 2026
Instead, the championship is getting broken up into two series of competitions that will be hosted at a rotation of various courses.
—
Monique John,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Gonzalez, a 39-year-old single mother raising a daughter, had just broken up with her boyfriend and couldn’t afford the rent on her studio apartment by herself.
—
Kayla Levy,
Curbed,
25 June 2026
Topography and shifting climates had broken up these populations into different habitats, allowing each to evolve into distinct species.
—
Torben Rick,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Officials in Germany have also broken up plots targeting the head of a German weapons supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.
—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
While some fans question whether Percy truly cheated on Sam if they were broken up, others have charged that neither Percy nor Charlie is redeemable as a character.
—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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
Verb
After beginning their relationship in late 2013, Courteney Cox and her partner of over a decade, Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid, have broken up, according to multiple outlets.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
28 June 2026
Instead, the championship is getting broken up into two series of competitions that will be hosted at a rotation of various courses.
—
Monique John,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
Gonzalez, a 39-year-old single mother raising a daughter, had just broken up with her boyfriend and couldn’t afford the rent on her studio apartment by herself.
—
Kayla Levy,
Curbed,
25 June 2026
Topography and shifting climates had broken up these populations into different habitats, allowing each to evolve into distinct species.
—
Torben Rick,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Officials in Germany have also broken up plots targeting the head of a German weapons supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.
—
Vanessa Gera,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
While some fans question whether Percy truly cheated on Sam if they were broken up, others have charged that neither Percy nor Charlie is redeemable as a character.
—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
-
The show’s title is synonymous with the fears of many Americans, who navigated and are still navigating a divided political nation.
-
Typically, the Supreme Court rulings released earlier in the term are less divided, and decisions released later in the term tend to break down along ideological lines at a higher rate.
Verb
-
After the Ballet Russe disbanded, Monson de Kansky toured with the Marquis de Cuevas ballet company for nine years.
-
The same was true of John Ferreira, the incredibly hard-working FBI special agent who kept the investigation going years after the ELF had disbanded.
Verb
-
Soon after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US in January, Venezuela ended Cuba’s long-standing medical mission in the country, cutting off a key resource in underserved communities.
-
On the way to the oyster farm, Luke asks about a ring Joy is wearing, which turns out to be from an engagement that ended badly.
Verb
-
In a place where many homes lean into glass, driftwood tones and a conventional layout, this one sprawls like a resort, with sleeping quarters separated into individual pavilion-like structures.
-
While first stage successfully separated, the second stage engine did not get it into orbit.
Verb
-
In the month since the crisis, residents in the surrounding area have continued to voice their displeasure with GKN Aerospace and the risk placed outside of their homes after the tank cracked.
-
The concrete is cracked from decades of Delta heat and the weight of cars parked on top of it.
Verb
-
Large car rally disrupted in Baltimore Police said 36 traffic citations were issued and 54 vehicles were stopped after a large gathering of vehicles in the 1000 block of Wilson Drive in South Baltimore.
-
The victim in the latest attack had stopped to swim with her boyfriend and friend in the Econlockhatchee River just north of Orlando Sunday afternoon when the alligator bit her, the FWC said in a press briefing.
Verb
-
Meanwhile, its medium-range drones have also disrupted Russia’s supply lines to the front, and its long-range strikes have increasingly damaged Russian oil facilities that provide vital revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.
-
Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Verb
-
Willis sang as their children—14-year-old Mabel Ray and 12-year-old Evelyn Penn—giggled in the background.
-
The couple giggled between kisses and lounged on a red-and-white picnic blanket while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Cite this Entry
“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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