1
as in to disband
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to come to an end
the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed
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3
as in to divide
to set or force apart
he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground
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4
as in to crack
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
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5
as in to cease
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad
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7
as in to laugh
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
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as in split
the act or process of a whole separating into two or more parts or pieces
the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism pretty much signaled the end of the Cold War
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
28 June 2026
The Friends actress, 62, and the Snow Patrol musician, 49, have broken up after more than 10 years together, PEOPLE can confirm.
—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
The breakup occurred shortly after the Zhuque-2E rocket reached orbit on June 9 with two satellites providing direct-to-cell communications, perhaps around the time the upper stage was expected to perform a disposal burn.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
Courteney Cox and partner Johnny McDaid have broken up after over a decade together, multiple outlets report.
—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
28 June 2026
The Friends actress, 62, and the Snow Patrol musician, 49, have broken up after more than 10 years together, PEOPLE can confirm.
—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
27 June 2026
Noun
Acceptance is a huge part of recovering from breakups.
—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
The breakup occurred shortly after the Zhuque-2E rocket reached orbit on June 9 with two satellites providing direct-to-cell communications, perhaps around the time the upper stage was expected to perform a disposal burn.
—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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The city and a group of taxpayers for years squabbled in court over whether the government had the right to enter into a contract with the Friends, which ultimately disbanded before the zoo opened in Griffith Park in 1966.
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This group, along with a number of others dedicated to examining and addressing inequities in the military, has been disbanded.
Verb
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When there was a pause in the action, referee Raphael Claus stopped the match to look at VAR to determine whether Balogun committed a foul worthy of a red card.
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Making new friends isn’t something that has to stop at a certain point in your life.
Verb
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The revelation has divided Jefferson descendants for decades.
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The sale sees the property divided into three lots with two buildable, giving the opportunity to create a treasurable family compound in rural seclusion just a 30-minute drive from the island’s main towns.
Verb
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Herman Weisberg, a former NYPD detective turned high-profile private investigator, believes one phone call could still crack the case.
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The item was later determined to be crack cocaine, the sheriff’s office said.
Verb
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Sony Interactive Entertainment, the largest video game company in the world by direct revenue, will reportedly cease production of physical discs for its formidable library of games for the PlayStation console.
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Founder David DeHaney, who set up the company in 2016, announced the decision to cease trading and appoint an administrator on Thursday.
Verb
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Even tiny electromagnetic disturbances can disrupt the quantum states that perform calculations, reducing the accuracy and reliability of the system.
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The decision severely hampered local planning for America’s 250th anniversary, disrupting history projects, museums and educational programs nationwide.
Verb
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Swift shared a glimpse of the fun on Instagram by posting some Polaroids of them laughing, hugging and enjoying red, white and blue Popsicles.
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England would be a laughing stock (and already home) without him.
Noun
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The Supreme Court has declined to resolve whether innocent taxpayers can face unlimited IRS audit exposure when a return preparer commits fraud, leaving a split in the federal courts intact.
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Sara Foster still lives with her ex, Tommy Haas, two years after their split.
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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