break up

British  

verb

1. to separate or cause to separate

2. to put an end to (a relationship) or (of a relationship) to come to an end

3. to dissolve or cause to dissolve; disrupt or be disrupted

   the meeting broke up at noon

4. (intr) (of a school) to close for the holidays

5. (intr) (of a person making a telephone call) to be inaudible at times, owing to variations in the signal

   you're breaking up

6. informal to lose or cause to lose control of the emotions

   the news of his death broke her up

7. slang to be or cause to be overcome with laughter

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noun

1. a separation or disintegration

2. 1. in the Canadian north, the breaking up of the ice on a body of water that marks the beginning of spring

   2. this season

break up Idioms  

1. Divide into many pieces; disintegrate. For example, Now break up the head of garlic into separate cloves . [Mid-1700s]

2. Interrupt the continuity of something, as in A short walk will break up the long morning .

3. Also, break it up . Scatter, disperse, as in The crowd broke up as soon as they reached the streets . [Late 1400s] This phrase is also used as an imperative, as in “Break it up!” shouted the police officer . [c. 1930]

4. Bring or come to an end, as in His gambling was bound to break up their marriage .

5. Also, break someone up . Burst into or cause one to burst into an expression of feeling, such as laughter or tears. For example, His jokes always break me up , or That touching eulogy broke us all up , or I looked at her and just broke up . The precise meaning depends on the context. This sense grew out of a usage from the early 1800s that meant “upset” or “disturb.” [ Colloquial ; early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Washington has a foreign-policy lever that costs almost nothing, earns interest and might have helped break up the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Airbus bought the factory in 2025, as part of a wider deal which led to the break up of Spirit Aerosystems.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Abel not surprisingly forcefully rejected the idea that Berkshire, the world’s biggest conglomerate, should break up, saying the company benefits from diversification and the ability to shift capital between businesses as opportunities arise.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

In other words, given the emergency nature of the situation, break up what you need to break up in order to successfully counterpunch.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

"Anyway, I'm going to break up with Noodle," I tell Tyrell, as we're headed for the door.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

Related Words

• adjourn
• disband
• dismantle
• disperse
• disrupt
• dissolve
• divide
• halt
• put an end to
• separate
• split
• stop
• suspend
• terminate