1
as in disbands
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 stops
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 divides
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 cracks
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 ceases
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 disrupts
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 laughs
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaks up
Needless to say, Bobby breaks up with her later.
—
Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks up
Verb
-
When policy, innovation, and business insight align, CCU stops being a piece of green rhetoric and becomes good business.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The buck stops with the humans.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The jet stream divides the country in two, bringing wetter weather to the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The 45-year-old Shears now divides his time between London and New Orleans, is a founding member of the pop and glam rock band Scissor Sisters.—
Adam Bell,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Apple will be there waiting, sitting on a mountain of cash, ready to partner with (or outright acquire) whichever operation cracks the code.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For example, Harvard barely cracks the top 30.—
Bruno V. Manno,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As compared to solar power, which ceases production at night, or wind power, which is dependent on weather conditions, the sea is in constant motion.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Sep. 2025
-
But those will soon be gone, too, as the drugstore chain ceases to exist nationwide.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Incomplete or inconsistent data disrupts workflows and triggers irrelevant follow-ups.—
Al Sefati,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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And there’s the impact of climate change itself, which disrupts seasonal temperature change routines.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Everyone laughs about Laura’s over-protectiveness; her suffocating affection is a joke.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Wan laughs when recalling the day.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The installation dissolves the fourth wall, bringing viewers into the heart of the performance with hyperreal dancers from Company Wayne McGregor and the Hong Kong Ballet in a unique soundscape by Invisible Mountain.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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For the first stretch of Erupcja, Charli almost dissolves into the screen, not like an outsize personality who’s dressing down for a part, but like someone who isn’t able to repurpose her considerable ability to hold our attention — or to give us any sense of what’s on her character’s mind.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sources said Bessent is waiting to interview current Fed members until after the blackout period surrounding next week's Federal Open Market Committee meeting ends.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Atlanta Braves have a difficult decision to make with manager Brian Snitker once the season ends.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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