Break up — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Break up (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. 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"

   similar: disband, disperse, dissolve
   related: demobilize
   opposite: band, join, unite
   near: incorporate, consolidate, hang together

2. to come to an end

   "the meeting broke up when all the business for the day had been completed"

   similar: break off, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, end, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
   related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
   opposite: continue, hang on, persist
   near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

3. to set or force apart

   "he broke up the rocks in the old stone wall with a crowbar, sending them tumbling to the ground"

   similar: decouple, disassociate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, ramify, resolve, separate, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke
   related: break down, decompose, disassemble, disintegrate, dissolve, bifurcate, bisect, cleave, dichotomize, dissect, fractionalize, fractionate, halve, partition, quarter, segment, subdivide, trisect, fragment, fragmentate, fragmentize, break, fracture, pull, rend, rift, rip, rive, rupture, tear, cut off, insulate, isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester, detach, disengage, disentangle, unravel, untie
   opposite: join, link, unify, unite
   near: assemble, associate, blend, combine, mingle, mix, connect, couple, accumulate, agglutinate, attach, bind, cement, close, fasten, fuse, knit, stick, weld

4. 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"

   similar: break down, crack, flip (out) (slang), freak (out), melt down, wig (out) (slang), blow one's cool, fall apart, go off the deep end, go to pieces, lose it
   related: choke

5. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

   "police arrived at the scene and immediately broke up the fracas"

   similar: break, break off, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
   related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
   near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

6. to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly

   "break up the feta cheese and spread it over the salad"

   similar: break, bust, disintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, rive
   related: atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce, blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode, crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash, chip, sliver, splinter, split, implode, destroy, ruin, wreck
   near: doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair

7. 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"

   similar: cackle, chortle, chuckle, crack up, giggle, hee-haw, laugh, roar, scream, snicker, titter, twitter, split one's sides
   related: grin, smile
   near: bawl, blubber, cry, sob, weep, howl, squall, wail, yowl, bleat, pule, whimper, whine, sniffle, snivel, groan, moan, sigh