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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

Advice from Wirecutter: Break up with your phone.

From New York Times • Mar. 6, 2023

Break up desultory Third Avenue into “superblocks” for pedestrians.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2023

Break up the taco shells, along with the cereal, in a food processor and blend into crumbs.

From Salon • Aug. 25, 2022

A: I can’t help but notice you didn’t ask me a question, although I’d like to propose an answer to the one you didn’t ask: Break up with him.

From Slate • Oct. 19, 2020

Break up a few cockles, or other shellfish, and place them in shallow water on a calm day, and watch the result.

From Beautiful Shells of New Zealand An Illustrated Work for Amateur Collectors of New Zealand Marine Shells, with Directions for Collecting and Cleaning them by Moss, E. G. B.

Related Words

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