broke up

Definition of broke upnext
past tense of break up
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broke up The pair officially broke up for the first time in January 2004 and remained friendly in between. Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani homered and combined with two other pitchers for seven hitless innings before the Rockies broke up the no-hitter bid in the eighth in a 4-1 win over Colorado on Wednesday night. CBS News, 28 May 2026 Hoyos also praised defensive midfielder Yannick Bright, who broke up countless Cincinnati plays, stole passes and sent the ball into the attack time and time again. Miami Herald, 14 May 2026 The former couple broke up in 2018. Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 7 May 2026 By then, the Golden Knights recovered and broke up the play, and the Ducks never even got a shot on goal. Eric Stephens, New York Times, 5 May 2026 Joyce broke up Kiefer’s outs streak with a single down the first base line and Ryan singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026 Four people were wounded in a shooting at the park in Arden Arcade, where several hundred people had gathered as law enforcement broke up the crowd. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026 They got engaged in late 2023 but broke up the following year. Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke up
Verb
  • Baldwin previously served as the president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Fort Worth, a political group for LGBTQ Republicans that has since disbanded because Baldwin said it wasn’t welcomed into the party.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
  • Longtime riding groups have disbanded.
    Mark Dent, HubSpot, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • Not that long after, a guard near the New York Stock Exchange stopped me.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 31 May 2026
  • Stosic delivered one giant hammer fist to Hardy’s jaw and the referee came in and stopped the bout.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Verb
  • When India was partitioned, Punjab was divided into two, leaving the Sikh community in economic distress with immense loss of land and wealth.
    Akash Pamarthy, NPR, 6 June 2026
  • The complication is that the trend has raced ahead of the research, and the research itself is divided.
    Allison Palmer June 4, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Financial assets accumulated over the years through oil and gas sales have been cracked open to help fund the effort, and state funds pour into the development of the latest military technologies — such as kamikaze drones.
    Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
  • The Tequila features aromas of fresh agave, cracked white pepper, citrus zest, and light, earthy tones, with a faint smokiness in the background.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Verb
  • Another location in central Pennsylvania ceased operations on May 24, according to reporting from ABC 27 News, an ABC affiliate based in Harrisburg.
    Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 June 2026
  • The Climb’s financing never materialized, prep was ceased, and by January 2025, the whole venture collapsed when rights to the film lapsed.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Fragmented sleep, irregular sleep timing, and disrupted circadian rhythms can all negatively affect your health.
    Brian Mastroianni, Health, 2 June 2026
  • Spurs deserve credit for acting swiftly and learning their lessons from last summer when the uncertainty over the future of then head coach Ange Postecoglou disrupted their plans and contributed to them missing out on key targets.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • When asked about that, Jones laughed.
    Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
  • According to Marcia, George was convinced he’d be laughed out of Hollywood because in the original script characters were running around and shooting at one another and nobody was getting hurt.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
Verb
  • On Junun, percussion often dissolved into the fort’s ambient resonance.
    Arman Khan, Pitchfork, 1 June 2026
  • The pulp was then dissolved and spun at the Thuringian Institute of Textile and Plastics Research in Germany, and then sent to Portuguese yarn manufacturer Inovafil to create yarns meeting the specifications of brand partners H&M Group, C&A and Reformation.
    Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 1 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20up. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.

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