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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ended
to come to an end
the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in separated
to set or force apart
he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
5
as in stopped
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in broken
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in giggled
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in divided
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broken up
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The administration, however, views public schools as a monopoly that should be broken up.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Citizens broke ground on the DigIndy project in 2013 and started with mining the tunnel system, which was broken up into different sections.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
The first two were successfully broken up by park security.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
After sampling, genetic material—the creature’s DNA—is collected from cells and then broken up into fragments that are short enough to be read by the sequencing machines.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Lyrics from the project prompted concerns that the band, which also includes Taylor York and Zac Farro, had broken up.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Different from other Charlotte's Web adaptations being feature-length films, this special being broken up into three parts (each about 43 minutes long) helps the story feel both bigger and more manageable for families who want to take it in at their own pace.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 1 Oct. 2025
The temperature map of the cosmic microwave background can be broken up into different components, some of which occupy large angular scales in the sky, and some of which occupy small angular scales, as well as everything in-between.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The pastel hues are broken up at the bottom of this pair with burgundy rubber below the shoe’s signature Abzorb SBS cushioning pods.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
The administration, however, views public schools as a monopoly that should be broken up.
—Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
Citizens broke ground on the DigIndy project in 2013 and started with mining the tunnel system, which was broken up into different sections.
—Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 9 Oct. 2025
The first two were successfully broken up by park security.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
After sampling, genetic material—the creature’s DNA—is collected from cells and then broken up into fragments that are short enough to be read by the sequencing machines.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Lyrics from the project prompted concerns that the band, which also includes Taylor York and Zac Farro, had broken up.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Different from other Charlotte's Web adaptations being feature-length films, this special being broken up into three parts (each about 43 minutes long) helps the story feel both bigger and more manageable for families who want to take it in at their own pace.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 1 Oct. 2025
The temperature map of the cosmic microwave background can be broken up into different components, some of which occupy large angular scales in the sky, and some of which occupy small angular scales, as well as everything in-between.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Verb
-
The group disbanded in 2013 following Watkins’ arrest.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Watkins served as the frontman of the Lostprophets rock band, which formed in 1997 and disbanded following his arrest in 2012.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Seven of the top flight’s 20 teams ended that campaign with a pass completion rate of less than 70 per cent.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
In April, Brazil ended visa-free travel for citizens of the US, Canada, and Australia, citing a lack of reciprocity.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To complete the family meditation, Ben Stiller puts his own children, Ella (23) and Quinlin (20), on camera, as well as his wife, Christine Taylor, from whom he was separated for several years (the two reconciled during the pandemic).—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
With the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns all struggling to start the year, the Steelers have separated themselves from the rest of the AFC North.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Inside these tiny zones, PET chains stretched, cracked, and softened , providing perfect conditions for reacting with sodium hydroxide.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The veneer cracked as Misiorowski lost connection with the strike zone.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On Sunday, Jeanty was stopped for a loss or no gain on four of his 10 runs against light boxes, and overall, the Las Vegas Raiders were stuffed 11 times on 29 attempts — the most of any team in a game this season.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
This was a couple who had never stopped laughing at one another’s jokes, who still held hands like teenagers into their 50s.—
Bee Wilson,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Those conversations could have broken a couple up.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That pact is now broken, and as the school seeks alternative routes, several researchers worry that some of the most important science will be the fastest to fall by the wayside.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a video added to Johnson's Instagram Stories, Rome smiled and giggled as the paramedic talked with him, moving to place the oxygen mask on his face.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Russell giggled, awed by her fellow-star’s vivacity, her easy embrace of glamour.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The divided landscape of right-of-center voters in NH-1 was highlighted during the 2024 election cycle, when Republican House candidate Russell Prescott captured 46% of the vote (185,936 ballots), trailing Democratic incumbent Chris Pappas’s 54% (218,577 ballots).—
Kristin Tate,
Boston Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Employers remain divided on which employment models work best.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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