phrasal verb break up

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Definition of “break up”: the exact definition of the phrasal verb “break up” and how it is used in a sentence

The phrasal verb “break up” has several definitions and uses. Here are a few:

  1. To end a romantic relationship:
    “I’m sorry to hear that you and your partner broke up. Is there anything I can do to help?”
  1. To cause something to separate into smaller pieces or parts:
    “The waves were so strong that they broke up the pier.”
  1. To cause an event or activity to come to an end:
    “We had a great time at the party, but it was time to break up when the police showed up.”
  1. To divide into smaller groups or sections:
    “The teacher decided to break up the class into smaller groups for the group project.”

Forms and tenses of Break Up

The phrasal verb “break up” can take several forms and tenses, each with its own unique meaning and usage. Here is a breakdown of the different forms and tenses of “break up” and examples of how to use each one:

  • The present simple tense is used to describe an action that is ongoing or habitually performed. For example: “We break up every time we have a fight” or “I always break up with my partners before they can break up with me.”
  • The present continuous tense is used to describe an action that is happening at the moment of speaking or is in progress. For example: “We are breaking up because we have grown apart” or “I am breaking up with you because you cheated on me.”
  • The past simple tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. For example: “We broke up last week” or “I broke up with her because she was too controlling.”
  • The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. For example: “We were breaking up when you called” or “I was breaking up with him when he told me he loved me.”
  • The present perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues until the present. For example: “We have broken up many times, but always end up getting back together” or “I have broken up with all my exes, but I still miss them.”
  • The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example: “We had broken up by the time he moved to another city” or “I had broken up with her before I met you.”
  • In general, the forms and tenses of “break up” are used to describe the ending of a romantic relationship. Whether the relationship is ending in the present, past, or future, the phrasal verb “break up” can be used to express the idea of ending a romantic connection.

Meaning and usage of Break Up

The phrasal verb “break up” can have several different meanings and uses depending on the context in which it is used. Here are some common meanings and uses of “break up” and examples of how to use it in different contexts:

To end a romantic relationship: This is the most common use of “break up,” and it means to end a romantic relationship with someone. For example: “We decided to break up because we just weren’t compatible” or “She broke up with him because he was always flirting with other women.”

To divide or separate something into smaller parts: “Break up” can also be used to mean to divide or separate something into smaller parts. For example: “We need to break up this project into smaller tasks” or “The teacher asked the students to break up into groups for the activity.”

To interrupt or stop something that is happening: “Break up” can also be used to mean to interrupt or stop something that is happening. For example: “The police arrived and broke up the fight” or “The meeting was getting out of control, so the boss decided to break it up.”

Some related phrases of “break up”:

  1. Break up with someone: To end a romantic relationship with someone.
  2. Break up a fight: To intervene and stop a physical altercation between two or more people.
  3. Break up a meeting: To disband or end a formal gathering or assembly.
  4. Break up a party: To bring an end to a social gathering or event.
  5. Break up the monotony: To interrupt or vary a dull or repetitive situation.
  6. Break up the text: To divide a long piece of writing into smaller, more readable sections.
  7. Break up a fight: To intervene and stop a physical altercation between two or more people.
  8. Break up a pattern: To disrupt a regular sequence or arrangement.
  9. Break up a relationship: To end a romantic or interpersonal connection between two people.
  10. Break up the ice: To disperse or crack the ice on a frozen surface, often used in the context of icebreaking in waterways.

Overall, the meaning and usage of “break up” can vary depending on the context in which it is used. In general, it is used to describe the ending of a relationship, the division or separation of something, or the interruption or stopping of an event or activity.

Common expressions with “break up”

There are several common expressions that use the phrasal verb “break up.” Here are a few examples and their meanings and uses:

  • “Break up with (someone)”: This expression is used to mean to end a romantic relationship with someone. For example: “I need to break up with my boyfriend because he is always cheating on me” or “She broke up with him because he was too controlling.”
  • “Break (something) up”: This expression is used to mean to divide or separate something into smaller parts. For example: “Can you please break this box up so I can throw it away?” or “The teacher asked the students to break up into groups for the activity.”
  • “Break (something) up”: This expression is also used to mean to interrupt or stop something that is happening. For example: “The police arrived and broke up the party” or “I had to break up the fight between my siblings.”

Overall, these common expressions using “break up” are used to describe the ending of a relationship, the division or separation of something, or the interruption or stopping of an event or activity.

The list of synonyms for “break up”

These words can be used interchangeably with “break up” in various contexts to convey similar meanings of separation, division, or disintegration.

Here is a list of synonyms for “break up”:

  1. Separate
  2. Split
  3. Divide
  4. Disintegrate
  5. Dissolve
  6. Part
  7. Sever
  8. Fragment
  9. Disband
  10. Dismantle
  11. Scatter
  12. Disperse
  13. Unravel
  14. Decompose
  15. Unravel
  16. Unfasten
  17. Detach
  18. Unlink
  19. Resolve
  20. Unravel

The list of antonyms for “Break Up”

These words represent concepts opposite to “break up” and signify actions of coming together, combining, or integrating elements into a whole.

Here is a list of antonyms for “break up”:

  1. Unite
  2. Combine
  3. Join
  4. Consolidate
  5. Merge
  6. Unify
  7. Attach
  8. Connect
  9. Fuse
  10. Integrate
  11. Assemble
  12. Gather
  13. Combine
  14. Harmonize
  15. Reconcile
  16. Associate
  17. Coalesce
  18. Meld
  19. Synthesize
  20. Incorporate

50 Example sentences with Break Up

  1. We decided to break up because we just didn’t see eye to eye anymore.
  2. She’s been devastated ever since her boyfriend broke up with her.
  3. I never thought they would break up – they seemed so perfect together.
  4. After a long and difficult conversation, they finally agreed to break up.
  5. He broke up with her over a text message, which she thought was incredibly disrespectful.
  6. They had been together for five years before they decided to break up.
  7. We were on the brink of breaking up when we decided to go to couples therapy.
  8. She broke up with him because he was too controlling and possessive.
  9. I never thought I would be the one to break up with him, but I just couldn’t take it anymore.
  10. He was heartbroken when his girlfriend broke up with him out of the blue.
  11. We tried to make it work, but in the end, we had to break up.
  12. She said she needed some space, so I gave her some time to think and then we ended up breaking up.
  13. We were in a long-distance relationship, and it was just too hard to maintain, so we decided to break up.
  14. He broke up with her because she cheated on him.
  15. After a lot of fighting and arguing, they finally broke up and went their separate ways.
  16. I never expected them to break up – they had been together for so long.
  17. She was devastated when her husband told her he wanted to break up.
  18. It was a mutual decision to break up – we both agreed that it was the best thing for both of us.
  19. He broke up with her because she was always so negative and critical.
  20. We were in a toxic relationship and we both knew we needed to break up.
  21. He was devastated when his girlfriend broke up with him after three years together.
  22. She broke up with him because he didn’t make her feel loved and appreciated.
  23. We had a lot of good times together, but in the end we knew we had to break up.
  24. I never thought I would be the one to break up with her, but it was for the best.
  25. He was heartbroken when his girlfriend broke up with him out of nowhere.
  26. After a lot of arguing and fighting, they finally decided to break up.
  27. We tried to make it work, but in the end we knew we had to break up.
  28. She said she needed time to herself, so I gave her some space and we ended up breaking up.
  29. It was a long and difficult decision, but in the end we decided to break up.
  30. She broke up with him because he was too selfish and never thought about her needs.
  31. We were in a toxic relationship and it was time to break up and move on.
  32. He was devastated when his girlfriend broke up with him after six years together.
  33. She broke up with him because he never made time for her or their relationship.
  34. We had been drifting apart for a while, and in the end, we knew we had to break up.
  35. I never thought I would be the one to break up with her, but it was the right thing to do.
  36. He was heartbroken when his girlfriend broke up with him after everything they had been through together.
  37. After a lot of fighting and arguing, they finally agreed that it was time to break up.
  38. We tried to make it work, but in the end, we had to break up.
  39. I was sad to break up with him, but I knew it was the best thing for both of us.
  40. She broke up with him because he never listened to her or took her feelings into consideration.
  41. We were in a relationship that wasn’t healthy for either of us, so we decided to break up.
  42. He was devastated when his girlfriend broke up with him after they had been planning their future together.
  43. She broke up with him because he was always putting his friends and hobbies before her.
  44. It was a mutual decision to break up – we both knew that our relationship wasn’t working.
  45. I never thought I would have to break up with him, but it was the right thing to do.
  46. He was heartbroken when his girlfriend broke up with him over something really trivial.
  47. We had been arguing a lot lately, and we both knew it was time to break up.
  48. She said she needed some time to herself, so I gave her space and we ended up breaking up.
  49. It was a tough decision, but in the end, we knew we had to break up.
  50. She broke up with him because he never made an effort to communicate or connect with her.

The questions are related to the phrasal verb ‘break up’

  1. The couple decided to ___________ after dating for three years.
  2. The band announced that they would ___________ at the end of their tour.
  3. She was heartbroken when he ___________ with her over the phone.
  4. The police had to ___________ the fight between the two men.
  5. The company was forced to ___________ after losing its biggest client.
  6. He didn’t know how to ___________ with his girlfriend in person, so he sent her a text message.
  7. The protesters were successful in ___________ the meeting.
  8. They had to ___________ their vacation early due to a family emergency.
  9. She couldn’t ___________ with her boyfriend’s cheating, so she ended the relationship.
  10. The teacher had to ___________ the class early because of a fire drill.
  11. The team decided to ___________ its partnership with the sponsors.
  12. He was devastated when his long-term relationship ___________.
  13. The parents were relieved when their children ___________ their argument.
  14. The company was forced to ___________ its operations due to financial problems.
  15. The couple ___________ after a series of intense arguments.
  16. The group decided to ___________ their project due to creative differences.
  17. She couldn’t ___________ with his constant lies, so she ended the relationship.
  18. The workers went on strike to ___________ their demands.
  19. The band ___________ after several members decided to pursue solo careers.
  20. The couple ___________ after realizing they had different life goals.

Answers

  1. The couple decided to break up after dating for three years.
  2. The band announced that they would break up at the end of their tour.
  3. She was heartbroken when he broke up with her over the phone.
  4. The police had to break up the fight between the two men.
  5. The company was forced to break up after losing its biggest client.
  6. He didn’t know how to break up with his girlfriend in person, so he sent her a text message.
  7. The protesters were successful in breaking up the meeting.
  8. They had to break up their vacation early due to a family emergency.
  9. She couldn’t cope with her boyfriend’s cheating, so she ended the relationship.
  10. The teacher had to break up the class early because of a fire drill.
  11. The team decided to break up its partnership with the sponsors.
  12. He was devastated when his long-term relationship broke up.
  13. The parents were relieved when their children broke up their argument.
  14. The company was forced to break up its operations due to financial problems.
  15. The couple broke up after a series of intense arguments.
  16. The group decided to break up their project due to creative differences.
  17. She couldn’t cope with his constant lies, so she ended the relationship.
  18. The workers went on strike to break up their demands.
  19. The band broke up after several members decided to pursue solo careers.
  20. The couple broke up after realizing they had different life goals.

The fill-in-the-blanks questions are related to the phrasal verb ‘break up’

  1. The party ___________ when the host’s parents came home early. (The party broke up when the host’s parents came home early.)
  2. He couldn’t ___________ with the constant criticism, so he quit his job. (He couldn’t cope with the constant criticism, so he quit his job.)
  3. The thieves ___________ the safe using a hammer and chisel. (The thieves broke up the safe using a hammer and chisel.)
  4. The couple ___________ after realizing they had different values. (The couple broke up after realizing they had different values.)
  5. The students ___________ into small groups to work on their project. (The students broke up into small groups to work on their project.)
  6. The storm ___________ the tree, causing it to fall onto the power lines. (The storm broke up the tree, causing it to fall onto the power lines.)
  7. He ___________ with his girlfriend after she caught him cheating. (He broke up with his girlfriend after she caught him cheating.)
  8. The meeting ___________ early due to lack of attendance. (The meeting broke up early due to lack of attendance.)
  9. The company ___________ its partnership with the supplier due to quality issues. (The company broke up its partnership with the supplier due to quality issues.)
  10. She was heartbroken when her long-term relationship ___________. (She was heartbroken when her long-term relationship broke up.)
  11. The couple ___________ after realizing they were incompatible. (The couple broke up after realizing they were incompatible.)
  12. The band ___________ due to creative differences. (The band broke up due to creative differences.)
  13. The storm ___________ the ship, causing it to sink. (The storm broke up the ship, causing it to sink.)
  14. The couple ___________ after a series of intense arguments. (The couple broke up after a series of intense arguments.)
  15. The students ___________ into small groups to discuss the readings. (The students broke up into small groups to discuss the readings.)
  16. The company ___________ its operations due to financial difficulties. (The company broke up its operations due to financial difficulties.)
  17. The team ___________ its partnership with the sponsors due to a disagreement. (The team broke up its partnership with the sponsors due to a disagreement.)
  18. The couple ___________ after realizing they wanted different things in life. (The couple broke up after realizing they wanted different things in life.)
  19. The party ___________ when the host’s parents came home early. (The party broke up when the host’s parents came home early.)
  20. He couldn’t ___________ with the constant criticism, so he quit his job. (He couldn’t cope with the constant criticism, so he quit his job.)