break up
Britishverb
-
to separate or cause to separate
-
to put an end to (a relationship) or (of a relationship) to come to an end
-
to dissolve or cause to dissolve; disrupt or be disrupted
the meeting broke up at noon
-
(intr) (of a school) to close for the holidays
-
(intr) (of a person making a telephone call) to be inaudible at times, owing to variations in the signal
you're breaking up
-
informal to lose or cause to lose control of the emotions
the news of his death broke her up
-
slang to be or cause to be overcome with laughter
noun
-
a separation or disintegration
-
-
in the Canadian north, the breaking up of the ice on a body of water that marks the beginning of spring
-
this season
-
-
Divide into many pieces; disintegrate. For example, Now break up the head of garlic into separate cloves . [Mid-1700s]
-
Interrupt the continuity of something, as in A short walk will break up the long morning .
-
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]
-
Bring or come to an end, as in His gambling was bound to break up their marriage .
-
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to break up a protest in the central town of Nanyuki against the construction of an Ebola quarantine centre for US citizens.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Sometimes bands break up for one specific or large reason, and sometimes it is a chain of events, seemingly unrelated, or not visible from the outside.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
Over-the-top doesn’t begin to describe Alice’s feelings of betrayal or her escalating attempts to break up the couple and punish Steve for his betrayal, which is precisely what drew Walker to the project.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
“When billionaires break up it can be expensive and nasty,” Tobias added.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
He trundled off to break up the fight, leaving a fuming Finnegan in his wake.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
