| 词组 | break up |
| 释义 | break up 1. break up sth • break sth up • break up to break into smaller pieces or parts, or to make something break into smaller pieces or parts: ▪ There is a real possibility that the ice caps at the North and South Poles will start breaking up and melting. ▪ Can you break up some of these sticks? They' re too big to start a fire with. + into ▪ Oil floats on the top of the water and then breaks up into drops. break-up n C when something breaks into smaller pieces or parts: ▪ Accident investigators are still not sure what caused the break-up of the plane. 2. break up • break up sth • break sth up if a marriage breaks up, or if someone or something breaks it up, it ends: ▪ Simon went to live in London when his marriage broke up, and only saw his children at weekends. ▪ She actually accused me of trying to break up her marriage! break-up n C when a marriage or sexual relationship ends: ▪ It took her years to get over the break-up of her marriage. break up if two people who are married or having a sexual relationship break up, they separate and the marriage or relationship ends: ▪ We'd been together for three years before we broke up, so it was really hard. + with ▪ Did you know that Pat's broken up with John? ■ SIMILAR TO: ↑split up 3. break up sth • break sth up if someone breaks up a fight, protest, etc, they stop it, especially by using force: ▪ Ten people were injured in the fighting, which was eventually broken up by security forces. break up a demonstration ▪ Police used tear gas to break up the demonstration, 4. break up BrE if schools, universities, or students break up, their classes end and the holidays begin: ▪ Some schools have already broken up, but we've got another week. + for ▪ What date do you break up for the summer holidays? ■ OPPOSITE: go back 5. break up • break up sth • break sth up if a meeting, party etc breaks up, or someone breaks it up, it ends and the people leave: ▪ It was around six in the morning when the party finally broke up. ▪ The meeting broke up and we still hadn't reached an agreement. ▪ I didn't want to break the evening up by leaving too early. 6. break up • break up sth • break sth up if an organization, country etc breaks up or is broken up, it is divided into several separate parts: ▪ Since the Soviet Union broke up, Belarus has had a hard time economically. ▪ One way of creating more competition would be to break up and sell off the big state-owned companies. ■ SIMILAR TO: ↑split up break-up n C when an organization, country etc is divided into several separate parts + of ▪ the break-up of Yugoslavia + into ▪ the break-up of Aeroflot into several small airline companies 7. break up • break up sth • break sth up if a group of people who live or work together break up or something breaks them up, they separate and stop living or working together: ▪ One of the things that causes families to break up is financial pressure. ▪ The group had recorded ten albums before they decided to break up. ▪ What do you think finally broke up the Beatles? ■ SIMILAR TO: ↑split up break-up n C when a group of people who live or work together separate: ▪ a family break-up ▪ the break-up of the band 8. break up sth • break sth up to make something such as a journey seem less long and boring, by doing something different in the middle of it: ▪ We stopped off in Cambridge in order to break up the journey. 9. break sth up • break up sth if you break up something that is all the same colour, shape, or pattern, you make it look more interesting by adding new colours, shapes etc: ▪ The huge lawns at Barnsley House are broken up by the clever planting of shrubs and trees. 10. break it up! spoken used to tell two or more people who are fighting to stop fighting: ▪ Break it up, you two, or you'll hurt each other! 11. break sb up informal, especially AmE if something breaks you up, it is so funny that you cannot stop laughing at it: ▪ Ethan really broke me up with that story about the alligator. ■ SIMILAR TO: ↑crack up |
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