1
as in disbanding
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 ending
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 dividing
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 losing it
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 stopping
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 disrupting
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 laughing
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 breaking up
On the season, Frederique has allowed 17 catches on 30 targets against for 299 yards and one touchdown while breaking up three passes.
—
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Hamilton collided with teammate Alohi Gilman while breaking up an Aaron Rodgers pass intended for Calvin Austin III.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
This is the first time Chalamet has mentioned Jenner in an awards speech, but she’s been growing in presence at his promotional events for Marty Supreme following the rumors that the two were breaking up.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
Starting an office romance has its perks, but breaking up brings a steep price.
—Emily Nix, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
Over time, Moore became suspicious of Wuornos, eventually breaking up with her and moving back to Ohio.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Last year, a mysterious fireball was spotted breaking up in the sky over southern Russia.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
They got engaged for the first time in November of 2022, before breaking up in January 2004.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Oct. 2025
Partially cover the pot and gently simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking up
Verb
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The nonprofit institution that provided significant funding for PBS and NPR is disbanding after nearly 60 years in operation.—
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The American Independence Party of George Wallace did a little better in 1968, carrying five states and 46 electoral votes before disbanding nationally, even though a California affiliate remains as a minor party.—
Verb
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The Chargers have been without top tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater because of season-ending ankle and knee injuries, respectively, and tried to make do as best as possible.—
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The team labored in home losses to Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, with Mahomes ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the fourth quarter of that setback against the Chargers.—
Verb
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The debate within the Democratic coalition is already bigger and louder, dividing moderates in swing states from progressives elated by Mamdani's rocket to victory in the nation's largest city.—
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One was a real human blastocysts, which contain about 100 to 200 rapidly dividing cells.—
Verb
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The Rhode founder and her stylist Dani Michele delivered a show-stopping moment on the red carpet, pulling a shimmering 2009 Armani Privé gown from the archives.—
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Stroll through the Funk Zone, stopping at wineries, breweries, and local shops along the way.—
Verb
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Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting plans for thousands of travelers during a busy holiday weekend and in a region that experts say is among the most popular for travelers this time of year.—
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One woman, Trish, told CBS News the fear was already disrupting daily life amid an influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.—
Verb
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Always ready for fun, Rose enjoys laughing, moving and finding creative ways to express herself.—
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In a separate post that day, the CEO added two laughing emoji when quote-tweeting an image of a toaster with a bikini on it.—
Verb
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To fully understand that, let’s cue the dissolving mist and go back in time just a bit, when the Panthers acquired two notable rookie wide receivers in the spring of 2024.—
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Personally, as an adult reader of mostly literary fiction—but one raised on fantasy—these books come close to bringing me that childhood thrill of dissolving into another universe.—
Verb
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In September 2025, Politico reported that instead of a complete five-year farm bill, the House and Senate committees on agriculture might take up a series of smaller bills to extend existing programs whose authorizations are expiring.—
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Any five-plus veteran or player on an expiring deal, no matter how valuable to the team on or off the field, will be considered expendable if the right offer comes along.—
Cite this Entry
“Breaking up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20up. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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