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

Traffic is set to be at its busiest on Good Friday, according to the RAC, although levels are expected to be consistently high from Thursday, when many schools break up.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

This rapid vaporization triggers a phenomenon known as a "micro-explosion," which helps break up the fuel into finer particles.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Ethnic Persians are about half the population, and even those who detest the theocratic regime don’t want the country to break up or descend into civil war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

After a decade of share price underperformance, Kraft Heinz said in September it will break up.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

This forces the other group of 3—Jennifer, Jasmine, and Kaitlyn—to break up.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Related Words

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