1
as in fracture
an opening caused by the sudden tearing or breaking of something
The earthquake created a rupture that spanned several miles. Doctors identified a rupture in his aorta.
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2
as in rift
the loss of good relations
The incident caused a diplomatic rupture between the two countries. They've been working to mend the rupture in their relationship.
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1
as in to fracture
to cause to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
She was out for the rest of the season after she ruptured a tendon.
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2
as in to burst
to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
The pipeline ruptured, leaking thousands of gallons of oil. The fault could rupture during the next major earthquake. High blood pressure caused the blood vessels to rupture.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rupture
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Mar. 2026
Borsutzki climbed out of the driver’s seat and sprinted toward the rupture in the road before crouching at the edge, a man pinned deep below crying out for help.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The fuel tanks ruptured, and the entire tail section fell off, along with the right wing.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rupture
Noun
In the wake of the rupture, OpenAI has moved quickly to fill the gap.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Mar. 2026
Borsutzki climbed out of the driver’s seat and sprinted toward the rupture in the road before crouching at the edge, a man pinned deep below crying out for help.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
At higher pressures, some membranes ruptured, and internal structures were affected, but many microbes remained viable.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The fuel tanks ruptured, and the entire tail section fell off, along with the right wing.
—Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rupture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rupture
Noun
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The motorcyclist, Juan David Gasper Gonzalez, was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital with a compound leg fracture that required surgery, according to the warrant.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The Justice Department’s about-face revealed a major fracture in antitrust enforcement.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Iran’s announcement of a new supreme leader came after the country’s remaining leadership appeared to show a rift.—
Cara Anna,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The eventual rift between the unlikely pair began in August 2024.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This delicate top looks like it was pulled straight from Reformation or Doen’s website.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The blue Ford quickly comes to a full stop and Martinez is pulled from the vehicle and handcuffed by multiple officers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Picturesque wind instruments suddenly burst forth as if a flock of birds were flying over the pyramids.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Wembanyama burst around it, received a pass and threw down a dunk.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the 7th District has also exposed a fissure among the city’s left-leaning unions, as the CTU has backed Conyears-Ervin and contributed $72,500 to her state central committee fund.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Sandstone and limestone provided fissures and fractures where these hydrocarbons could sit, and caprock kept everything in place.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Defense Department’s reliance on Anthropic’s AI came as a shocking realization that ultimately led to their dramatic schism, according to a top Pentagon official.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Mar. 2026
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Harper’s disgust marks a major schism between the former besties.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If oil prices stay very high for very long, households' budgets already stretched by high inflation could break under the pressure.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the militant group exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Nineteenth-century naval mines exploded on contact.—
Jon R. Lindsay,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rupture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rupture. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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