break up
break
breÉĒk
breik
up
ƌp
ap
/breÉĒk ƌp/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "break up"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

to break up
[phrase form: break]
01

āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āϛ⧇āĻĻ, āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻ• āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to end a relationship, typically a romantic or sexual one
Intransitive: to break up | to break up with sb
to break up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I immediately broke up with my boyfriend when I found out that he was cheating on me.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ…āĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻŽā§āĻŦ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāϝāĻŧāĻĢā§āϰ⧇āĻ¨ā§āĻĄā§‡āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āϛ⧇āĻĻ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋ āϝāĻ–āύ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϜāĻžāύāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāϞāĻžāĻŽ āϝ⧇ āϏ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤
02

āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āϟ⧁āĻ•āϰ⧋ āϟ⧁āĻ•āϰ⧋ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to become separated into pieces
Intransitive
to break up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
When the earthquake struck, the old bridge began to break up, posing a danger to passing vehicles.
āϝāĻ–āύ āĻ­ā§‚āĻŽāĻŋāĻ•āĻŽā§āĻĒ āφāϘāĻžāϤ āĻšāĻžāύ⧇, āĻĒ⧁āϰāĻžāύ⧋ āϏ⧇āϤ⧁āϟāĻŋ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϝ⧇āϤ⧇ āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰ⧇, āϝāĻž āϝāĻžāύāĻŦāĻžāĻšāύāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāĻĻ āϏ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
03

āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ›āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to put an end to a gathering and cause people to go in different directions
Transitive: to break up a crowd or group activity
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
As the storm approached, the lifeguard had to break up the beach party for safety reasons.
āĻāĻĄāĻŧ āĻāĻ—āĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āφāϏāĻžāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇, āϞāĻžāχāĻĢāĻ—āĻžāĻ°ā§āĻĄāϕ⧇ āύāĻŋāϰāĻžāĻĒāĻ¤ā§āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϰāϪ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāϚ āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āϟāĻŋ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
04

āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ›āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻž

(of a gathering or meeting) to be concluded, with individuals going their separate ways
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The meeting will break up around 4:00 PM.
āĻŽāĻŋāϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϟāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāϞ ā§ĒāϟāĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
05

āĻ­āĻžāĻ™ā§āĻ—āĻž, āϟ⧁āĻ•āϰ⧋ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to cause something to be separated into pieces
Transitive: to break up sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Can you break up the branches for easier disposal?
āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋ āύāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻĒāĻ¤ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž āϏāĻšāϜ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻļāĻžāĻ–āĻžāϗ⧁āϞ⧋ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύ?
06

āĻĻā§āϰāĻŦā§€āĻ­ā§‚āϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to make something disappear by mixing it into a liquid
Transitive: to break up a substance
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The detergent is designed to help break up the oils and fats in water.
āĻĄāĻŋāϟāĻžāϰāĻœā§‡āĻ¨ā§āϟāϟāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāύāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϤ⧇āϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϚāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻŋ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĄāĻŋāϜāĻžāχāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
07

āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻšāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻ•ā§āώ⧇āĻĒ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāĻŽāĻžāύ⧋

to intervene and stop a physical or verbal fight between individuals
Transitive: to break up a fight or people fighting
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The referee broke the players up during the soccer match.
āϰ⧇āĻĢāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻĢ⧁āϟāĻŦāϞ āĻŽā§āϝāĻžāĻšā§‡āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϖ⧇āϞ⧋āϝāĻŧāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻĻ⧇āϰ āφāϞāĻžāĻĻāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
08

āĻ­āĻžāĻ™ā§āĻ—āĻž, āĻšā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to break something with force, often producing a loud sound
Transitive: to break up sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He accidentally broke the vase up while cleaning the shelves.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϤāĻžāĻ• āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϭ⧁āϞ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻĢ⧁āϞāĻĻāĻžāύāĻŋ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĢ⧇āϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
09

āĻĢ⧇āĻŸā§‡ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āĻšāĻžāϏāĻŋ, āĻœā§‹āϰ⧇ āĻšāĻžāϏāĻž

to start laughing really hard
Dialectamerican flagAmerican
Transitive: to break up sb
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The sitcom's clever writing has a way of breaking viewers up.
āϏāĻŋāϟāĻ•āĻŽā§‡āϰ āϚāϤ⧁āϰ āϞ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϰ āĻĻāĻ°ā§āĻļāĻ•āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻšāĻžāϏāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϤ⧋āϞāĻžāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āωāĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤
10

āϛ⧁āϟāĻŋāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āϛ⧁āϟāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

(of schools) to close for a holiday
Dialectbritish flagBritish
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Parents plan family vacations around when schools break up.
āĻĒāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻŽāĻžāϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻ¸ā§āϕ⧁āϞ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϛ⧁āϟāĻŋāϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻĒāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āύāĨ¤
11

āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻž

(of a connection or association) to end due to the separation of those involved
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The business collaboration broke up without any prior warning.
āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāĻ• āϏāĻšāϝ⧋āĻ—āĻŋāϤāĻž āϕ⧋āύ āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ āϏāϤāĻ°ā§āĻ•āϤāĻž āĻ›āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāχ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϗ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
12

āĻ­āĻžāĻ™ā§āĻ—āĻž, āĻšā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to strike with force using a tool such as a pickaxe, typically on icy or rocky surfaces
Transitive: to break up ice or rock
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He decided to break the rocks up to gather materials for construction.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āύāĻŋāĻ°ā§āĻŽāĻžāϪ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āωāĻĒāĻ•āϰāĻŖ āϏāĻ‚āĻ—ā§āϰāĻš āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāĻĨāϰ āĻ­āĻžāĻ™āĻžāϰ āϏāĻŋāĻĻā§āϧāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
13

āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

(of an iceberg or glacier) to break and release smaller pieces of ice
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
In certain conditions, frozen lakes can suddenly break up, creating a spectacle of moving ice masses.
āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻļāĻ°ā§āϤ⧇, āĻšāĻŋāĻŽāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāϤ āĻšā§āϰāĻĻāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻšāĻ āĻžā§Ž āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϝ⧇āϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇, āϚāϞāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻŦāϰāĻĢ⧇āϰ āĻ­āϰāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĻ⧃āĻļā§āϝ āϤ⧈āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
14

āĻ­āĻžāĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻ­āĻ•ā§āϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to divide a particular thing into several smaller parts or entities
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The task was broken up into simpler steps for clarity.
āĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻˇā§āϟāϤāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ•āĻžāϜāϟāĻŋāϕ⧇ āϏāĻšāϜ āϧāĻžāĻĒ⧇ āĻ­āĻžāĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
15

āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻž, āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to experience extreme stress leading to a nervous breakdown
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
A healthy work-life balance is vital to avoid breaking up due to stress.
āϚāĻžāĻĒ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻžāϰāϪ⧇ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧāĻž āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϤ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻĨā§āϝāĻ•āϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ-āĻœā§€āĻŦāύ⧇āϰ āĻ­āĻžāϰāϏāĻžāĻŽā§āϝ āĻ…āĻ¤ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖāĨ¤
16

āĻŦāĻŋāĻ›āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻāĻžāĻĒāϏāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to have trouble talking or seeing clearly because of a weak or unstable signal
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Video calls often break up in areas with weak internet connections.
āχāĻ¨ā§āϟāĻžāϰāύ⧇āϟ āϏāĻ‚āϝ⧋āĻ— āĻĻ⧁āĻ°ā§āĻŦāϞ āĻāĻŽāύ āĻāϞāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ­āĻŋāĻĄāĻŋāĻ“ āĻ•āϞ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧāχ āϭ⧇āϙ⧇ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
17

āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻŖāĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻŽāϜāĻžāĻĻāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to add something interesting to make an activity or situation less boring
Transitive: to break up a boring activity or situation
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
We decided to take a short trip to the beach to break up the long summer months.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻĻā§€āĻ°ā§āϘ āĻ—ā§āϰ⧀āĻˇā§āĻŽā§‡āϰ āĻŽāĻžāϏāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻ•āĻ˜ā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ­āĻžāĻ™āϤ⧇ āϏ⧈āĻ•āϤ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϛ⧋āϟ āĻ­ā§āϰāĻŽāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŋāĻĻā§āϧāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
LanGeek
āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ