break up

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

Example Sentences

"When we were dating, people would stop him, and be like, 'You broke up with her on a Post-It!'"

From Salon

But Trump, who reportedly took a phone call with Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai after he won the U.S. presidential election, has also stopped short of saying he would break up the search giant.

From Los Angeles Times

A scuffle ensued, but was quickly broken up by bystanders and police.

From BBC

The last time the government sought to break up a tech giant, in the Microsoft antitrust case of the early 2000s, an appeals court overturned the district court’s ruling, and Microsoft remained intact.

From New York Times

The proposals would likely be the most significant remedies to be requested in a tech antitrust case since the Justice Department asked to break up Microsoft in 2000.

From New York Times

Related Words

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