rupture
Americannoun
-
ruptures
plural
-
the act of breaking or bursting.
The flood led to the rupture of the dam.
-
the state of being broken or burst.
a rupture in the earth's surface.
-
a breach of harmonious, friendly, or peaceful relations.
-
Pathology. hernia, especially abdominal hernia.
verb (used with object)
-
ruptures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ruptured,
past participle, past
-
rupturing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
ruptures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ruptured,
past participle, past
-
rupturing
present participle
noun
-
the act of breaking or bursting or the state of being broken or burst
-
a breach of peaceful or friendly relations
-
pathol
-
the breaking or tearing of a bodily structure or part
-
another word for hernia
-
verb
-
to break or burst or cause to break or burst
-
to affect or be affected with a rupture or hernia
-
to undergo or cause to undergo a breach in relations or friendship
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
nonrupturenoun
-
nonrupturableadjective
-
rupturableadjective
-
unrupturableadjective
-
unrupturedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
rupturesimple
-
rupturessimple
-
have rupturedperfect
-
has rupturedperfect
-
am rupturingprogressive
-
are rupturingprogressive
-
is rupturingprogressive
-
have been rupturingperfect progressive
-
has been rupturingperfect progressive
Past
-
rupturedsimple
-
had rupturedperfect
-
was rupturingprogressive
-
were rupturingprogressive
-
had been rupturingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rupture
1475–85; < Latin ruptūra (noun), equivalent to rupt ( us ) (past participle of rumpere to break) + -ūra -ure
Explanation
A rupture is a break or tear in something that pulls it apart. A rupture can be a literal break, like the one that happens in, say, a gas line, or it can be more figurative, as in a friendship or a business deal. The oil spill was less of a spill than it was a rupture: the line leading to the well was severed, allowing the oil to flow into the ocean. Rupture works as both a noun and a verb. You can rupture the silence by screaming your head off, and any number of events in Star Trek can cause a rupture in the space-time continuum.
Vocabulary lists containing rupture
Make a Break for It: Rupt
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Mammoth Shakes and Monster Waves" Vocabulary from the informational text
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The overture came after Prime Minister Carney addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg, telling EU lawmakers that Canada and Europe were "stronger together" in the face of "geopolitical rupture".
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Residents in Maine's frontier towns express worry that the tariffs have also triggered a rupture in cross-border relationships built up over decades, and that the intricate community fabric could take years to repair.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
Then there was a rupture in the relationship and Musk departed, although they seem to have mended fences.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Wednesday’s rupture forced officials to shut down Normandie Avenue from Franklin Avenue to De Mille Drive, Workman said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
The Sunday before he was to officially announce his rupture with Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X came to my home to discuss his plans and give me some necessary documentation.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Thomas and Erika arrive in a Germany torn apart and the ruptures within their family are nearly as tumultuous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The explosive end of the ceasefire is threatening to reopen ruptures in the oil market that could dent stocks and complicate the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
When the stress levels differ significantly, ruptures are more likely to stop at Cajon Pass instead of continuing farther.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026
The catastrophic explosion occurs when a pressurized vessel containing a liquid ruptures.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
When a fault ruptures, the energy travels in four kinds of seismic waves.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
Saskia was having a stroke - specifically, a brain bleed caused by a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal cluster of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
When the cells encountered the microplastics, they changed shape and ruptured.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
If both systems ruptured within a short period, multiple major metropolitan areas could be dealing with severe damage at nearly the same time.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026
Thurman had to have her fallopian tube removed after it ruptured.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
The cars are stacked and waiting, their fuel tanks ruptured and drained.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
He has not played competitively since 2024 after rupturing an Achilles tendon in March 2025 and having back surgery last October.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The second quake produced nearly triple the shaking energy as the first, with the fault rupturing to the east for more than 100 miles, sending quake energy right into the international airport and La Guaira.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
On Friday, authorities described the tank exploding or rupturing as the only possible outcomes, but on Saturday Covey said: "Letting this thing just fail and blow up is unacceptable."
From Barron's ● May 23, 2026
The quakes occur about every five to six years, repeatedly rupturing nearly the same sections of the fault and reaching nearly identical magnitudes.
From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026
I had to hold the phone from my eardrum for fear of him rupturing it.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
