break up with — to end a romantic relationship with someone
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to end a romantic relationship with someone
Pronunciation (IPA): /breɪk ʌp wɪð/
Example Sentences
- He bought expensive gifts thinking it would prevent her from breaking up with him, but she returned everything along with a goodbye note.
- I'm thinking about breaking up with my boyfriend because he puts pineapple on pizza.
- She broke up with him via text message, which he only saw three hours later because he was playing video games.
break up with
VERB[/breɪk ʌp wɪð/]
to end a romantic relationship with someone
She decided to break up with him after months of silent dinners.
After you break up with someone, you dream to make up with them, then wake up to reality
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrase emerged in early 20th-century English to describe the termination of a romantic relationship. It combines the verb 'break' (meaning to shatter or sever) with the adverbial particle 'up' (indicating completion or totality) and the preposition 'with' (denoting the person involved), literally conveying the idea of completely severing a relationship with someone.
Breakdown
break (to sever or rupture) + up (completely, thoroughly) + with (indicating the person/object). The particle 'up' intensifies the verb's sense of finality, while 'with' specifies the person from whom one is separating.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“He bought expensive gifts thinking it would prevent her from breaking up with him, but she returned everything along with a goodbye note.”
“I'm thinking about breaking up with my boyfriend because he puts pineapple on pizza.”
“She broke up with him via text message, which he only saw three hours later because he was playing video games.”
“They broke up with each other simultaneously, making it the most awkward mutual breakup in history.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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