Break up meaning
Break up means to end a romantic relationship. It can also mean to break or divide something into smaller pieces.
break up
break up · broke · broken · breaking
Leo and Mia broke up after five years together.
Break up meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
End a romantic relationship
break up
- Leo and Mia broke up after five years together.
- She broke up with him by text, which was cruel.
- Are you two still together, or have you broken up?
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2
Break or divide something into smaller pieces
break something up
- Break up the chocolate and melt it slowly.
- The ice on the lake is starting to break up.
- The essay is long, so break it up with some headings.
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3
Stop a fight or a gathering and make people leave
break something up
- Two teachers ran over to break up the fight.
- The party got too loud, so the police broke it up.
- The meeting didn’t break up until after eight.
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4
Finish school for the holidays
break up
- When do the kids break up for summer?
- We break up next Friday, so I’m planning a trip.
- My school has already broken up for Christmas.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use break up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is break up separable?
When it means end a relationship, break up has no object. Use with before the person: She broke up with Tom, not She broke up Tom.
The noun is one word, a breakup (UK also break-up). The school holiday meaning is UK only; US English says school gets out.
Verb tenses for break up
| Present | I break up · she breaks up |
|---|---|
| Past | broke up |
| Present perfect | have broken up |
| -ing form | breaking up |
Common mistakes with break up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: She broke up him last week.
Right: She broke up with him last week.
Use with before the person you leave.
Wrong: We broke up our relationship in May.
Right: We broke up in May.
Break up already means end the relationship, so no object is needed.
Wrong: My car broke up on the motorway.
Right: My car broke down on the motorway.
Machines break down; couples break up.
Synonyms and opposites of break up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- split upmeans the same for couples, slightly more neutral
- dumpinformal, end a relationship with someone, often suddenly
- fall outargue and stop being friends, not only couples
Opposite
- get togetherstart a romantic relationship
- get back togetherstart the same relationship again after a breakup
Break up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1They argued all the time, so in the end they ___.
Couples break up when the relationship ends.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Use break up with + person.
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3On a call: “Sorry, you’re breaking up. I’ll call you back.” What is the problem?
On a phone, breaking up means the voice is not clear because of a weak signal.
More phrasal verbs with break
5 phrasal verbs start with break. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Break up FAQ
Questions people ask about break up.
What is the difference between break up and split up?
For couples they mean almost the same. Split up is also common for bands and business partners: The band split up in 2019.
What does you’re breaking up mean on the phone?
It means the signal is weak and parts of your words are missing. Move somewhere with a better signal.
Is it breakup or break up?
Break up, two words, is the verb: They broke up. Breakup, one word, is the noun: a painful breakup.
Use break up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.