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
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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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broken up
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
Bands that had broken up have reformed, playing bigger venues than ever and creating some of the best music of their careers.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
In a medium bowl, mash cream cheese with a fork until broken up.
—Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Some at Intel still believe the company should be broken up, to split manufacturing and product design and accelerate progress.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the Canes’ forecheck attempts were broken up by Ottawa, Ehlers’ puck-moving and transition game came in clutch.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The soil must be broken up or aerated so moisture can penetrate the surface.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
Bands that had broken up have reformed, playing bigger venues than ever and creating some of the best music of their careers.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 May 2026
In a medium bowl, mash cream cheese with a fork until broken up.
—Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Some at Intel still believe the company should be broken up, to split manufacturing and product design and accelerate progress.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
When the Canes’ forecheck attempts were broken up by Ottawa, Ehlers’ puck-moving and transition game came in clutch.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
The soil must be broken up or aerated so moisture can penetrate the surface.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
-
His attention is very much divided.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
11 June 2026
-
It won’t be known until November whether the next governor will be working with a divided Legislature, but several of Klobuchar’s proposals thus far have pulled ideas from existing bipartisan efforts at the Legislature.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2012, the commission was incorporated into the Tourism Authority and disbanded during severe budget cuts.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Many of the top leaders are gone, and the office’s advisory committee has also been disbanded.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Zach Neto was hit by a pitch and Mike Trout ended an 0-for-22 slump with a single to load the bases.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
If the season ended Tuesday, Chicago would have the second AL wild-card spot.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
The Grossmans were separated at the time of the fatal crash.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
McComb and Van Der Beek separated in 2009 and finalized their divorce in 2010.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In this heat, the interior of a vehicle can reach life threatening temperatures in minutes, even with the windows cracked.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
Morgan Wallen Has Scored 81 Streaming Hits Throughout his career, Wallen has scored 81 hits on the Streaming Songs chart, and 30 of those have cracked the top 10.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
In the months before the shooting, Mangione’s once active online presence stopped, and his mother filed a missing persons’ report.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Once the match started, the tours of the property stopped and all attention turned to the soccer game.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Major ash-producing eruptions have repeatedly disrupted life across the region and can affect areas far beyond the immediate danger zone.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
-
The department said current emergency notification systems rely on cellular devices, radio signals, electrical connectivity and power, all of which can be disrupted by heavy smoke, power outages or damage to communication infrastructure during an emergency.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
But after the dust settled Saturday, La Habra’s senior softball players sat side-by-side on the grass, kicked off their cleats and giggled.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
7 June 2026
-
In the video, the couple could be seen with their hoods up and riding rented Citi Bikes on the streets of the Big Apple as Sweeney giggled and took her feet off the pedals.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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