break up
Third Person
breaks up
Present Participle
breaking up
Past Tense
broke up
Past Participle
broken up
1
to end a relationship, typically a romantic or sexual one
- He decided to break up after she moved away for college.
- I immediately broke up with my boyfriend when I found out that he was cheating on me.
- She had to break up with him because they wanted different things.
- They decided to break up after two years of dating.
- He found it hard to break up with her, but he knew it was the right decision.
2
to become separated into pieces
- The glass vase fell off the table and broke up into many sharp shards.
- When the earthquake struck, the old bridge began to break up, posing a danger to passing vehicles.
- Over time, the waves and erosion caused the rocky cliff to break up into smaller stones.
- The ice on the pond started to break up as the temperatures rose in the spring.
- The glass broke up into sharp pieces on the floor.
3
to put an end to a gathering and cause people to go in different directions
transitive
- The teacher had to break up the heated argument between the students in the classroom.
- As the storm approached, the lifeguard had to break up the beach party for safety reasons.
- The police were called to break up the large crowd that had gathered for the unpermitted street event.
- The referee had to break up the fight on the soccer field before it escalated further.
- When the clock struck midnight, it was time to break up the New Year's Eve celebration.
4
(of a gathering or meeting) to be concluded, with individuals going their separate ways
- The festival will break up with a fireworks display.
- The meeting will break up around 4:00 PM.
- After the awards ceremony, the audience will break up.
- As the rain started, the picnic quickly broke up.
Synonyms:
5
to cause something to be separated into pieces
transitive
- The chef will break the cheese up into grated portions.
- Can you break up the branches for easier disposal?
- He broke up the ice into smaller cubes for the drinks.
- The kids broke up the old toys for a craft project.
- The janitor broke the cardboard boxes up for disposal.
Synonyms:
7
to intervene and stop a physical or verbal fight between individuals
transitive
- Break the kids up before the disagreement escalates.
- The referee broke the players up during the soccer match.
- The bouncer had to break up a brawl at the nightclub.
- The teacher intervened to break up the students' argument.
- The law enforcement officer stepped in to break up the altercation on the street.
8
to break something with force, often producing a loud sound
transitive
- He accidentally broke the vase up while cleaning the shelves.
- The strong gust of wind broke up the old tree branch, causing it to fall to the ground.
- The explosion broke up the boulders, scattering debris in all directions.
Synonyms:
9
to start laughing really hard
transitive
- The unexpected comment from the child broke everyone up.
- The sitcom's clever writing has a way of breaking viewers up.
- She breaks me up with her hilarious anecdotes!
- The sitcom never fails to break me up after a long day.
Synonyms:
10
(of schools) to close for a holiday
- Students look forward to when schools break up for the summer.
- Parents plan family vacations around when schools break up.
- The decision to break up for a longer holiday was well-received.
- The school traditionally breaks up for summer vacation in June.
- School breaks up next week.
11
(of a connection or association) to end due to the separation of those involved
- The business collaboration broke up without any prior warning.
- The deal broke up unexpectedly, causing disappointment.
- The alliance broke up as conflicting interests became irreconcilable.
Synonyms:
12
to strike with force using a tool such as a pickaxe, typically on icy or rocky surfaces
transitive
- The workers needed to break the ice up to clear the pathway.
- He decided to break the rocks up to gather materials for construction.
- She used a hammer to break the concrete block up into smaller pieces.
- The heavy machinery was used to break up the large rocks in the quarry.
Synonyms:
13
(of an iceberg or glacier) to break and release smaller pieces of ice
- During the thaw, the icy crust on the mountain began to break up, revealing bare rock.
- In certain conditions, frozen lakes can suddenly break up, creating a spectacle of moving ice masses.
- The Arctic sea ice tends to break up during the summer months, forming navigable channels.
- The glacier began to break up as temperatures rose, resulting in the formation of smaller icebergs.
Synonyms:
14
to divide a particular thing into several smaller parts or entities
- They decided to break up the project into manageable sections.
- The task was broken up into simpler steps for clarity.
- To improve circulation, it's important to break up long periods of sitting with short walks or stretches.
- The teacher broke the class up into smaller groups for discussion.
- In order to reduce traffic congestion, the city proposed breaking up the major road into smaller lanes.
Synonyms:
15
to experience extreme stress leading to a nervous breakdown
- A healthy work-life balance is vital to avoid breaking up due to stress.
- Strong social support can prevent individuals from breaking up in difficult times.
- Personal well-being is crucial to avoid breaking up under pressure.
16
to have trouble talking or seeing clearly because of a weak or unstable signal
- The live stream broke up during the heavy downpour.
- Video calls often break up in areas with weak internet connections.
- The airplane's altitude caused the Wi-Fi signal to break up.
- I'm having trouble hearing you; you're breaking up intermittently.
- Hold on, you're breaking up—let me call you back.
17
to add something interesting to make an activity or situation less boring
transitive
- The music festival was a great way to break up the long winter months and add some excitement to our lives.
- We decided to take a short trip to the beach to break up the long summer months.
- They successfully broke up the long conference with engaging speakers.
- The event planner is skilled at breaking up conferences with interactive sessions.
- Break up your exercise routine with different workouts.