rupture
Americannoun
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the act of breaking or bursting.
The flood led to the rupture of the dam.
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the state of being broken or burst.
a rupture in the earth's surface.
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a breach of harmonious, friendly, or peaceful relations.
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Pathology. hernia, especially abdominal hernia.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act of breaking or bursting or the state of being broken or burst
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a breach of peaceful or friendly relations
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pathol
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the breaking or tearing of a bodily structure or part
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another word for hernia
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verb
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to break or burst or cause to break or burst
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to affect or be affected with a rupture or hernia
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to undergo or cause to undergo a breach in relations or friendship
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonrupturenoun
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nonrupturableadjective
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rupturableadjective
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unrupturableadjective
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unrupturedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rupturesimple
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rupturessimple
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have rupturedperfect
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has rupturedperfect
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am rupturingprogressive
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are rupturingprogressive
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is rupturingprogressive
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have been rupturingperfect progressive
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has been rupturingperfect progressive
Past
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rupturedsimple
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had rupturedperfect
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was rupturingprogressive
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were rupturingprogressive
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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
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"Mammoth Shakes and Monster Waves" Vocabulary from the informational text
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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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.
The rupture sent crude oil into the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
The researchers describe it as a fault junction that can influence whether a rupture stops on one fault or continues across both the San Andreas and San Jacinto systems.
From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026
However, analysts worry that stripping Zelensky of the order may lead to a major diplomatic rupture that can have serious repercussions for both countries.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Several days after the injection, she had to have emergency surgery after showing signs of an ectopic pregnancy rupture.
From Salon • May 26, 2026
But his dismissive posture toward the rupture in the friendship—what breech and what betrayal?—was obviously only a bravado pose.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions 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.
