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
While Sam begins hallucinating people as puppets, Justin breaks up with him.
—
Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Belly, devastated by the betrayal, slaps Jeremiah and breaks up with him.
—Alexandra Hurtado, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Needless to say, Bobby breaks up with her later.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks up
Verb
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And once the dog is found, the Search Party network disbands.—
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DiCaprio plays Bob, a revolutionary in hiding with his teen daughter (Chase Infiniti) after his activist group the French 75 disbands in chaos.—
Verb
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The team that stops the run and mitigates mistakes will win this one.—
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The group stops to talk to one who took a fall while riding his bike in his neighborhood.—
Verb
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On the other side of the great river that divides them, the Republic of the Congo has led a somewhat less eventful existence.—
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Continue reading … DIVIDED HALLS – Johnson insists US 'not at war' after closed-door Venezuela briefing divides lawmakers.—
Verb
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Chowdhury says that there is a growing cadre in government and industry who have bought into the hype around humanoids and believe that the world economy will be dominated by whoever cracks the problem first.—
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The gruesome mayhem continues as another family member slips on some small toy cars left on the floor and cracks his head open on the corner of a piano.—
Verb
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From December through February, shuttle service largely ceases (outside of select days and weekends; check shuttle schedules for up-to-date details).—
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Plenty of literary audio has been made in the more than eight years since S-Town, but the writer language used to talk about podcasting ceases to exist outside the editing room.—
Verb
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The condition disrupts the production of CoQ10, a molecule essential for generating energy inside cells, leading to rapid neurological decline and loss of mobility.—
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In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive.—
Verb
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Simmons laughs when recalling the experience.—
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Honestly, my only regret is this thing in the eye [laughs].—
Verb
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The short answer is that toothpaste contains a detergent that dissolves fat.—
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Its acidity effectively breaks down grease, eliminates mold, neutralizes odors, and dissolves mineral deposits.—
Cite this Entry
“Breaks up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20up. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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