to break up with

Examples

• All

• The next time I heard from her, months later, she had broken up with him.

  Academic text (2005)

• When Lane asked me what was wrong, I said: "I just broke up with my boyfriend."

  Fiction book (1991)

• But I broke up with her at New Year's.

• Who did you say you broke up with?

  You've Got Mail (1998)

• You broke up with me when we were, what, like, 17?

  The Guilt Trip (2012)

• My boy best friend told me to break up with my boyfriend.

• So you broke up with your girlfriend?

  Boyhood (2014)

• I broke up with my girlfriend.

  Moby Doc (2021)

• I think I'm gonna break up with him.

  Outing Riley (2004)

• I didn't want to break up with him because he was so good to me.

  The Enforcer (2022)

Synonyms

B

to break up

vsto break up with

• Informal

678 2.6

End a relationship with someone, for example a romantic or business partner

is the same action but commonly stated with a person after it

S

to split

vsto break up with

575 2.3

End a relationship or go separate ways

is about ending a romantic relationship specifically rather than general separation

D

to dump

vsto break up with

• Informal

501 5.1

To end a romantic relationship suddenly and without care

is more neutral and does not imply suddenness or lack of care

S

to separate

vsto break up with

481 2.9

To move apart or stop being together

refers specifically to ending a romantic relationship rather than general separation

F

to finish

vsto break up with

• Informal

458 4.6

To end a relationship or connection with someone

is about ending a romantic relationship specifically rather than any association

S

to split up

vsto break up with

• Informal

137 2.7

To end a close relationship and go separate ways

focuses on ending the partnership itself rather than the later separation

S

to sever

vsto break up with

67 5.8

To end a relationship or connection completely by stopping all contact

refers to ending a romantic relationship specifically, not only cutting ties

B

to break with

vsto break up with

23 4.1

End a relationship with someone or something in a clear, final way

is more everyday and focused on personal romantic endings rather than formal splits

K

to kick someone to the curb

vsto break up with

• Informal

12 9.4

Suddenly stop seeing or talking to someone

is used neutrally to describe ending a romantic relationship without harsh tone

C

to cut the cord

vsto break up with

• Informal

5 6.6

To stop depending on someone or something and become independent

is about ending a romantic relationship itself rather than gaining independence

G

to give the mitten

vsto break up with

• Archaic

9.9

To end a relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend

is a neutral expression for ending a romantic relationship, not slang

G

to give the axe

vsto break up with

• UK

7.4

To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning

is used for ending a romantic relationship specifically rather than general dismissal

G

to give the bounce

vsto break up with

• UK

9.7

End someone's job or relationship suddenly and without warning

describes ending a romantic relationship more neutrally, not necessarily abruptly

Antonyms

D

to date

∞ 1.3

To go out with someone in a romantic way

T

to take back

115 3.9

Begin a relationship again with someone after it ended

How Abrupt

to dump

• Informal

501 5.1

to break up with

• Informal

417 3.4

to split up

• Informal

137 2.7

to estrange

• Formal

2 7.5

to drift apart

17 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology