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
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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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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
Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
There was always a little dance being played that was broken up by hiatus.
—Lori A Bashian Fox News, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
There’s something deliciously dramatic about a celebrity’s style shift after a breakup.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Verb
The former Colorado star caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while at the same time making 35 tackles, breaking up 11 passes and picking off four.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 2025
There was always a little dance being played that was broken up by hiatus.
—Lori A Bashian Fox News, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
In the past week, McGee had multiple pass breakups in the end zone, including one against freshman Terry Shelton.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2025
There’s something deliciously dramatic about a celebrity’s style shift after a breakup.
—Robyn Merrett, StyleCaster, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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Van Halen's members have always had strenuous relationships with one another — and that hasn't changed even after the band officially disbanded following Eddie's death.—
Emlyn Travis,
EW.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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The Democratic Party in Hong Kong, once the city’s largest opposition force, has disbanded following a crackdown by Beijing.—
Adam B. Kushner,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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When the American money stopped flowing, the local soup kitchen closed and Ms. Musa went out searching for food.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The city is divided along sectarian lines: The south is home mostly to Sunni Muslims, while the northern neighborhoods are mostly Alawite.—
Christina Goldbaum,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Passengers are divided on the appropriateness of removing shoes during flights, citing comfort versus hygiene and safety.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Unhackable networks: Traditional encryption relies on complex math problems that could eventually be cracked by powerful computers.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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The same goes with cast-iron skillets, which can rust, and crystal, which can crack or grow cloudy.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Department of Government Efficiency may not last much longer, but that doesn’t mean fraud and waste will cease.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
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The cuts do not necessarily mean a program will cease to operate.—
Melody Schreiber,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This decision by the Russian Federation will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts for ordinary Russian citizens.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
10 Apr. 2025
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Behind the scenes there was no doubt other dreams were dashed and processes disrupted.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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By singing, dancing, and laughing as our unapologetic trans selves.—
James Factora,
Them.,
18 Apr. 2025
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Her sporadic movements left McNay's children cracking up, with one falling to her knees from laughing so hard.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Indeed 44% of the respondents surveyed think that AI’s effect on individual agency and ability to act independently is likely to be more negative than positive with only 16% predicting a fairly equal split between positive and negative change.—
Tracey Follows,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Proponents of the split argue that Cyber Command has become too big on its own to have to share a leader with a similarly large organization.—
Sam Sabin,
Axios,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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