break up — 3 meanings

One phrase, 3 different jobs. Tap a meaning to jump to it — then lock each one in by saying it out loud.

phrasal verb3 meanings

1 end a romantic relationshipWhen two people break up, they end their romantic relationship.
2 separate into smaller piecesTo divide something into smaller parts or pieces.
3 disrupt a gatheringTo cause a group of people who have gathered together, especially for a meeting, protest, or other event, to disperse or stop their activity, often by force or official order.

Spot the meaning

Which one is it?

Read the sentence, then pick the meaning that's in play.

All meanings, in depth

Ordered by how often you'll hear each one — the meaning tells you what it does, the examples and tips show it in use.

end a romantic relationship

B1break up with sbspokenMost common

When two people break up, they end their romantic relationship.

After dating for two years, they decided to break up.

A: Did you hear about Mia and Tom?
B: Yeah, they broke up last week.

In my opinion, it's better to break up than to stay in an unhappy relationship.

Common mistake

✗She broke up her boyfriend last week.

✓She broke up with her boyfriend last week.

You 'break up WITH' someone — don't drop 'with'.

Tell it apart

They broke up after two years.

ended the relationship

They made up after the row.

got back on good terms

Usually used for romantic relationships, but can sometimes be used for close friendships.Not the same as 'break down', which means to stop working or to become very emotional.

Often paired with

break up with

Practice saying this →

separate into smaller pieces

B1break sth upspoken

To divide something into smaller parts or pieces.

She broke up the chocolate bar and shared it with her friends.

A: How should we organize the project?
B: Let's break it up into smaller tasks.

During my presentation, I tried to break up the information so it was easier to understand.

Common mistake

✗Break up the text in shorter paragraphs.

✓Break the text up into shorter paragraphs.

'Break up INTO' smaller parts, not 'in'.

Tell it apart

Break the bread up into chunks.

separate into pieces

The couple broke up last year.

ended their relationship

Often used for physical things, but can also be used for dividing groups or time.'Break up' means to separate into pieces, while 'break down' can mean to analyze or to stop working.

Often paired with

break up + into pieces

Practice saying this →

disrupt a gathering

C1break up sth

To cause a group of people who have gathered together, especially for a meeting, protest, or other event, to disperse or stop their activity, often by force or official order.

The police were called in to break up the demonstration before it turned violent.

A: Did you hear about the protest in the city centre?
B: Yeah, apparently the authorities broke it up pretty quickly.

In some countries, the government may break up public gatherings if they are considered a threat to security or public order.

Common mistake

✗Security broke up it.

✓Security broke it up.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'break it up'.

Tell it apart

Police broke up the demonstration.

forced it to disperse

The couple broke up.

ended their relationship

'Break up' in this sense is commonly used when talking about police or authorities stopping protests, demonstrations, or large gatherings. It is neutral in register and not used for ending relationships or dividing physical objects.This sense is different from 'break up' meaning to end a romantic relationship (B1) or to separate something into pieces (B1). Here, it refers specifically to dispersing groups of people, often by intervention.

Often paired with

break up + gathering

Practice saying this →

Turn this into speaking practice

Practise one meaning at a time and save the ones you mix up for review.

end a romantic relationship separate into smaller pieces disrupt a gathering