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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of break up
Cate Martel, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2024
Now, the iceberg has broken free of this watery cage and is floating northeast in the direction of South Georgia Island, where it is expected to break up and melt into oblivion.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
According to insiders, Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn’s breakup was mutual.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break up 
Verb
The latest plan, per Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell’s reporting: Republicans will break up elements of the government funding plan into separate, stand-alone votes.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2024
Now, the iceberg has broken free of this watery cage and is floating northeast in the direction of South Georgia Island, where it is expected to break up and melt into oblivion.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
Scientists expect the iceberg to head toward South Georgia island where warmer water is likely to trigger a breakup of the big berg into smaller chunks.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
According to insiders, Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn’s breakup was mutual.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break up
Verb
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The group formed in 1975 to show solidarity among local Christian churches but disbanded during the pandemic.Maura Fox, The Mercury News, 16 Dec. 2024
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When The Crosby Brothers disbanded, Lindsay went to work reading scripts for his dad.Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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One thing to note: Don’t expect to have your steak cooked well done, Jess & Jim’s scale stops at medium well.Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 31 Dec. 2024
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With those factors added together, there was little to stop the tornado (at that point a waterspout) from becoming a monster.Matthew Cappucci The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Verb
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That injection literally divided her into two bodies: the older one, and a younger, nubile one named Sue (Margaret Qualley), who got the job hosting Elisabeth’s old aerobics show and has rocketed onto the celebrity A-list.Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
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Curated by Brazilian artist Adriano Pedrosa, the main art exhibition of the 60th la Biennale di Venezia seemed to divide opinion—loved and loathed in equal measure.Nargess Banks, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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He’s now collected eight total smashes that have cracked that uppermost tier throughout his solo career, and that number doesn’t include his output as one-seventh of BTS.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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Another new Nashville restaurant nearly cracked the top 10: Gannons Nashville (170 Fourth Ave. N.), which came in at No. 12.Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Here are some other services that will cease until a shutdown would end: Duties carried out by the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) to review an invetigate reports of misconduct or poor performance.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024
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In the event of a shutdown, Medicare applications could cease, hundreds of thousands of federal employees may be furloughed and the number of available air traffic controllers and TSA agents could drop, potentially creating travel delays during the holidays.Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The eruption of Mount Tambora is a stark reminder of nature’s power to disrupt and inspire, even as climate change throws a shadow over our world today.Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
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Severe weather conditions across the U.S. could disrupt holiday travel this weekend, as millions of people set out to reach their destinations or return home.Kristin Wright, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In the gallery of snaps shared by the reality star, the kids laugh with their mom and siblings, make funny faces at the camera and even pose for some solo shots.Hannah Sacks, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
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Those laughing, loving Brooklyn Nolans struggle with poverty and malnutrition.Perri Klass, The New Yorker, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Lopez also canceled her summer tour in May amid the split.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
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During a July 2020 episode of the Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Cohen recalled Sutton detailing her discoveries amid her split — including a piece of a baseball team — in her RHOBH casting tape.McKinley Franklin, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Break up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20up. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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