1
as in fracture
an opening caused by the sudden tearing or breaking of something
The earthquake created a rupture that spanned several miles. Doctors identified a rupture in his aorta.
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2
as in rift
the loss of good relations
The incident caused a diplomatic rupture between the two countries. They've been working to mend the rupture in their relationship.
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1
as in to fracture
to cause to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
She was out for the rest of the season after she ruptured a tendon.
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2
as in to burst
to develop a hole, crack, or tear often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
The pipeline ruptured, leaking thousands of gallons of oil. The fault could rupture during the next major earthquake. High blood pressure caused the blood vessels to rupture.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rupture
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Is Bi commenting on the technological ruptures of the sound era?
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025
If left untreated, foreign objects can migrate, rupture the eyeball, and cause blindness.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rupture
Noun
The patella rupture in September 2024, then the recurring back issue that required surgery in July 2025.
—Verb
Two years ago, in a supposedly meaningless fourth-quarter snap of a 56-19 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Dolphins’ top pass rusher ruptured his ACL, meniscus and patella tendon in his right knee.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for rupture
Noun
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This is more than just a slight hairline fracture that will heal on its own.—
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Boyd suffered a fracture above his right wrist in Windermere’s 58-47 win against the tournament top seed, Olympia, on Thursday.—
Noun
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Trade and technology further illuminate the growing rift.—
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The reunion was a landmark moment for the father and son, following reports of a rift in recent years.—
Verb
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The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
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Bruce Bennett / Getty Images TORONTO — Anthony Stolarz pulled Dennis Hildeby in close as the 6-foot-7 Swede was putting the finishing touches on his goalie gear.—
Verb
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Is your play area bursting at the seams?—
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Hill burst upon the local high school scene as a sophomore, earning Central Texas newcomer of the year honors in 2023 after rushing for 1,428 yards and 20 touchdowns.—
Noun
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The fissure is on full display with those sharp lines in The Studio and Pluribus — shows, incidentally, from Apple, which more than any other company has normalized and cuddlified our current screen addiction.—
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As his family tries to settle into their new neighborhood, Jin’s plot creates fissures between him and his wife and daughters, as well as their white, liberal neighbor.—
Noun
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The right’s schisms were on full display during AmericaFest, Turning Point USA’s annual conference, which took place in Phoenix this past weekend.—
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But in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a painful schism emerged between them, one that led them to stop speaking to one another for an extended period of time.—
Verb
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Even one of the greatest ever to play this game, Joe Root, could not work out how to break free of the 36-year-old’s shackles here, failing to score a single run off him for 23 balls in a row before finally yielding to the python-like grip when missing one that homed in on his pads.—
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The Brisbane Stadium is expected to break ground this year, with a target completion date of 2031.—
Verb
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The popularity of sporting events in Greater Miami and Miami Beach has exploded in recent years, and the destination is now an essential part of many international sporting circuits.—
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Two years later, the police-community relations issue would explode with global reverberations when George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who had kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.—
Cite this Entry
“Rupture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rupture. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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