break up
break
breɪk
breik
up
ʌp
ap
British pronunciation
/breɪk ʌp/

Definition & Meaning of "break up"in English

to break up
[phrase form: break]
01

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
example
Examples
He decided to break up after she moved away for college.
02

to become separated into pieces

Intransitive
to break up definition and meaning
example
Examples
The glass vase fell off the table and broke up into many sharp shards.
03

to put an end to a gathering and cause people to go in different directions

Transitive: to break up a crowd or group activity
example
Examples
The teacher had to break up the heated argument between the students in the classroom.
04

(of a gathering or meeting) to be concluded, with individuals going their separate ways

Intransitive
example
Examples
The festival will break up with a fireworks display.
05

to cause something to be separated into pieces

Transitive: to break up sth
example
Examples
The chef will break the cheese up into grated portions.
06

to make something disappear by mixing it into a liquid

Transitive: to break up a substance
example
Examples
The detergent is designed to help break up the oils and fats in water.
07

to intervene and stop a physical or verbal fight between individuals

Transitive: to break up a fight or people fighting
example
Examples
Break the kids up before the disagreement escalates.
08

to break something with force, often producing a loud sound

Transitive: to break up sth
example
Examples
He accidentally broke the vase up while cleaning the shelves.
09

to start laughing really hard

Dialectamerican flagAmerican
Transitive: to break up sb
example
Examples
The unexpected comment from the child broke everyone up.
10

(of schools) to close for a holiday

Dialectbritish flagBritish
Intransitive
example
Examples
Students look forward to when schools break up for the summer.
11

(of a connection or association) to end due to the separation of those involved

Intransitive
example
Examples
The business collaboration broke up without any prior warning.
12

to strike with force using a tool such as a pickaxe, typically on icy or rocky surfaces

Transitive: to break up ice or rock
example
Examples
The workers needed to break the ice up to clear the pathway.
13

(of an iceberg or glacier) to break and release smaller pieces of ice

Intransitive
example
Examples
During the thaw, the icy crust on the mountain began to break up, revealing bare rock.
14

to divide a particular thing into several smaller parts or entities

Intransitive
example
Examples
They decided to break up the project into manageable sections.
15

to experience extreme stress leading to a nervous breakdown

Intransitive
example
Examples
A healthy work-life balance is vital to avoid breaking up due to stress.
16

to have trouble talking or seeing clearly because of a weak or unstable signal

Intransitive
example
Examples
The live stream broke up during the heavy downpour.
17

to add something interesting to make an activity or situation less boring

Transitive: to break up a boring activity or situation
example
Examples
The music festival was a great way to break up the long winter months and add some excitement to our lives.
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