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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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
With a frigid polar vortex set to grip huge swaths of the U.S. in the coming days, the city could see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of snow before the quick-moving but significant storm breaks up in the early hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
The Bachelor star Matt James has announced his breakup with season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell.
—EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break up 
Verb
But Tommy's storyline took a turn, with the EMT breaking up with Trevor and currently battling cancer.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
With a frigid polar vortex set to grip huge swaths of the U.S. in the coming days, the city could see anywhere between 3 and 5 inches of snow before the quick-moving but significant storm breaks up in the early hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
Their high-profile breakup does seem fairly amicable.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
The Bachelor star Matt James has announced his breakup with season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell.
—EW.com, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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After the Discovery acquisition was completed a year ago, that unit was disbanded and Ascheim exited the company.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2025
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Last year, the net zero alliance for insurers disbanded after losing about half its members, and Climate Action 100+, a group for investors, has suffered departures of prominent members.—
Eshe Nelson,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But some also said the length and scope of the communications slowdown was unusual, resulting in confusion among staff as health agencies sought to stop or claw back communications, meetings and events to comply with the directive.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Jan. 2025
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But a Chinese bus attendant who tried to stop the attacker later died of her wounds.—
Chris Lau,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The galleries are categorized according to three themes — religion, kingship, and society — and divided into historical eras: Predynastic, the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, the Late Kingdom, Ptolemaic (Greek) Egypt, and the Roman period.—
Kate McMahon,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2025
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Americans largely support Trump's mass deportation plans, but are divided on how they should be carried out.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Art didn’t crack the top 1,000 most popular names in the U.S. in 2023, but Arthur (No. 128, boys), Arturo (No. 621, boys) and Artemis (No. 856, girls) did, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA).—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
20 Jan. 2025
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No Sox players cracked the starting pitching, relief pitching, or catching lists, but the most glaring oversight is undoubtedly in center field, where Jarren Duran was conspicuously absent.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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One of my favorite coffee shops, Cafe De Leche, which had the most peaceful sunny patio — perfect for reading and catching up with a friend — ceased to exist.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
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Production has ceased on Season 2 of the Big Talk Studios series about an 18th-century highway robber, putting a cast and crew of hundreds out of work with nothing to show for their efforts.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Amyloid plaques accumulate between neurons, disrupting communication and leading to memory loss and cognitive decline, while tau tangles accumulate inside neurons, disrupting their normal function and leading to neuronal death.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
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While many organizations prioritize technology, additional areas outside the technological realm can disrupt security capabilities and affect vulnerability management.—
Dewayne Hart,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During the inauguration, Infantino was filmed laughing animatedly as Trump stated that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
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Brown had a wonderful sense of self-deprecating humor and laughed about his gaffe for years.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Now, Hague is giving her followers a more intimate look into her life with Bambi — and her split from Fury — in the Prime documentary Molly-Mae: Behind It All, which hits the platform on Jan. 17.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
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While uncoupling from the RSN gave the Rangers control of their media destiny, the split from the parent company formerly known as Diamond Sports Group does not come without a cost.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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