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To end a relationship
“I decided that it was finally time to break up with Tiffany, and, for better or worse, I decided to break up with her in a public place.”
To split, or cause to split, from a group that one is associated with
“Such punishments, however, run the risk of inducing grievances and persuading the higher administration to break up the cartel.”
To cause to separate into pieces, typically suddenly or forcibly
“The surface will break up easily enough if you use a jackhammer.”
To crumble or disintegrate as a result of decay
“The dead plants decay and break up into little pieces.”
To separate or split
“The slightest movement will tend to break up the connection between such pavement and brick or granite.”
To disperse and leave from, or cause to disperse and leave from, a place
“The crowd would begin to break up eventually after being told that Elvis had left the building.”
To draw to a close
“The hostess would serve a dessert, there would be more gossip, and then the club meeting would break up.”
To start laughing uncontrollably
“She had little more to do than stare at him adoringly and break up at his jokes, which wasn't much of a change from the way she spent her time off-camera.”
To become, or cause to become, mentally unstable, especially from stress or anxiety
“I believe that the stress of parenting and the crippling of my finances had caused me to break up mentally.”
Related Words and Phrases
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