broken up 1 of 2

broken up

2 of 2

verb

past participle of break up
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
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
6
7

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broken up
Verb
To give the episodes shape, each is broken up into several mini-narratives, such as a mother cheetah learning to adapt her hunting style to mountainous rocky terrain in order to catch prey for her hungry cubs. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 4 Oct. 2026 And in all that time, according to STATS, not a single no-hitter has been broken up on a triple by a catcher — in the eighth inning or later, regular season or postseason. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Over time, these rocks are fragmented and broken up into small mineral particles by plant roots forcing open cracks, or lichens secreting chemicals that dissolve rocks to release nutrients. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 Dartmouth drove to the Lehigh 22-yard line on the ensuing possession, but Grayson Saunier's fourth-down pass was broken up. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 In an August 2026 census of both red and blue dots broken up into different eras, Kocevski of Colby College and his collaborators found exactly that pattern. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 MomTok has convened at Jen’s because Taylor has allegedly broken up with Dakota for good. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 Peli and the girlfriend who lived with him had broken up, and Staci visited the house after the film’s release. — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026 During the same period, Justin Fields had a pass intended for wide receiver Jason Brownlee broken up by cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McAllister. — Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken up
Adjective
  • Historically, midterm years see weaker returns, but better times await the following year , especially if there is gridlock from a divided Congress.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But the episode exposed a fragmented right and a divided Liberal Party, Bolsonaro’s political base.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Someone who has seen these messages told me that another theme in the chat, which disbanded in January because its members had begun to quarrel, was an impulse to expand into broader anti-labor activities.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The city government is also restarting the interagency Security Infrastructure Working Group, which Mamdani said was disbanded in 2024.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Amid all those professional milestones, Bridgers also ended a high-profile relationship with actor Paul Mescal; lost her father, Tony Bridgers; and started dating comedian Bo Burnham.
    — Christine Werthman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There is a week every fall when the mornings sharpen, the knitwear comes down off the top shelf, and everything in your gym bag suddenly belongs to a season that has already ended.
    — Zoë Mackay, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And then around ’98, when William made this decision that fractured the community forever, the well-meaning adults separated the genders.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This means that Cumberland in Western Maryland and Salisbury on the Eastern Shore — separated by the Chesapeake Bay and nearly the entire width of the state — could one day end up represented by the same member of Congress.
    — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Bottle tops popped, can tabs cracked, and cocktail shakers shook all day Thursday at the Aftershock music festival at Sacramento’s Discovery Park.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Burkhard cracked open a fortune cookie and tears began to well up.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As referees stopped Charlie Adams’ corner kick to separate a pair of players in the box, Adams whispered for Barea to come closer.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The Cougars were stopped at the UCF 3 on consecutive drives before Overmyer fumbled at the UCF 7 and into the end zone, recovered by the Knights.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine disrupted steel supplies, upended supply chains, and sent costs soaring.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Drought has disrupted berry crops and other natural food sources that bears depend on, sending them closer to humans and into garage cans, bird feeders and chicken coops.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The two giggled momentarily before Quiñonez turned back and answered candidly.
    — Jake McCreven, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Brandy and Goldberg smiled and giggled throughout the entire show, full of joy as the models twirled and commanded the runway in pieces ranging from cocktail dresses to red carpet-worthy gowns.
    — Anika Reed, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broken up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20up. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!