break up phrasal verb ( see also ↑ break )
1 . if something breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into a lot of small pieces:
It seems that the plane just broke up in the air.
break something ↔ up
Use a fork to break up the soil.
2 . break something ↔ up to separate something into several smaller parts:
There are plans to break the company up into several smaller independent companies.
You need a few trees and bushes to break up the lawn.
3 . break something ↔ up to stop a fight:
Three policemen were needed to break up the fight.
4 . break something ↔ up to make people leave a place where they have been meeting or protesting:
Government soldiers broke up the demonstration.
Police moved in to break up the meeting.
5 . if a marriage, group of people, or relationship breaks up, the people in it separate and do not live or work together any more:
He lost his job and his marriage broke up.
The couple broke up last year.
Many bands break up because of personality clashes between the musicians.
break up with
Has Sam really broken up with Lucy?
⇨ ↑ breakup
6 . if a meeting or party breaks up, people start to leave:
The party didn’t break up until after midnight.
The meeting broke up without any agreement.
7 . British English when a school breaks up, it closes for a holiday:
School breaks up next week.
break up for
When do you break up for Easter?
8 . break somebody up American English informal to make someone laugh by saying or doing something funny:
He breaks me up!