breakup

1 of 2

noun

break·​up ˈbrāk-ˌəp 

1

: an act or instance of breaking up

2

: the breaking, melting, and loosening of ice in the spring

break up

2 of 2

verb

broke up; broken up; breaking up; breaks up

intransitive verb

1

a

: to cease to exist as a unified whole : disperse

their partnership broke up

b

: to end a romance

2

: to lose morale, composure, or resolution

especially : to become abandoned to laughter

… breaks up completely, laughing himself into a coughing fit.

—Gene Williams

transitive verb

1

: to break into pieces

2

: to bring to an end

broke up the fight

3

: to do away with : destroy

break up a monopoly

4

: to disrupt the continuity or flow of

break up a dull routine

5

: decompose

break up a chemical

6

: to cause to laugh heartily

Synonyms of breakup

Noun

• split
• dissolution
• partition
• division
• separation

Verb

• disband
• dissolve

Examples of breakup in a Sentence

Noun

Money problems often lead to marital breakups.

She's just gone through a bad breakup with her boyfriend.

He began drinking heavily following the breakup of his marriage.

a couple heading for marital breakup

What caused the breakup of the Roman Empire?

the breakup of a monopoly

the breakup of an asteroid as it hits the Earth's atmosphere

Verb

the band broke up when their arguments over money grew too stressful

the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kody reflected on his own divorces in a confessional, and lamented how messy the breakups became. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026

Williams had two pass breakups against capable receivers Tyler Lockett and Tre Tucker, a near-interception and a vicious sack on one of Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive back blitzes. —Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026

Verb

Antoine was called for a pass interference during Mississippi’s late TD drive but also broke up a pass that could have been a first down. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

Clouds will break up during the afternoon, with winds turning more southwesterly as a spring-like dry line or the frontal boundary of a dry air mass moves over the area. —Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing breakup

• breakup value

Rhymes for breakup

• backup
• blowup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

breakup

1 of 2 noun

break·​up ˈbrā-ˌkəp 

: an act or an instance of breaking up

break up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)brā-ˈkəp

1

: to separate into parts

enzymes help break up protein molecules

2

: to bring or come to an end

the police broke up the demonstration

the party began to break up

3

: to end a romance

they dated for a while but broke up

4

: to go or cause to go into a fit of laughter

that joke always breaks me up