Definitions:

1. to attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example verb
   • I broke up the giant piece of ice.
2. to break or cause to break into pieces verb
   • They asked me to break up the toffee.
3. to bring the association of to an end or cause to break up verb
   • We broke up our business relationship years ago.
4. to cause to go into a solution verb
   • I broke up the precipitate and tried to dissolve it again.
5. to cause to separate verb
   • We should break up the kidney stones.
6. to cause to separate and go in different directions verb
   • I tried to break up the fight.
7. to close at the end of a session verb
   • We have to break up before it gets any later.
8. to come apart verb
   • I broke the ice up with a pick.
9. to destroy the completeness of a set of related items verb
   • I broke up the group into three smaller sets.
10. to discontinue an association or relation verb
    • They wanted to break up our relationship after the argument.
11. to laugh unrestrainedly verb
    • The comedian was making me break up.
12. to release ice verb
    • The iceberg broke up on the shores of Newfoundland.
13. to separate substances into constituent elements or parts verb
    • This compound needs to be broken up into hydrogen and oxygen.
14. to set or keep apart verb
    • I had to break up the fight.
15. to suffer a nervous breakdown verb
    • I broke up at the sight of my dead grandparent.
16. to take apart into its constituent pieces verb
    • Regulators broke up the giant corporation after it was determined to be a monopoly.

Synonyms:

• break
• break apart
• break down
• calve
• collapse
• crack up
• decompose
• disassemble
• dismantle
• dissolve
• fragment
• pick
• recess
• resolve
• scatter
• separate
• sever
• take apart