Often couples break up, or end their relationship. Sometimes the break-up [noun form] is easy, sometimes the break-up is messy and heartbreaking.
Two people can decide to break up, or someone can break up with another person.
split up phrasal verb
Split up is a synonym of break up, but it is more informal. It can be used to talk about the end of a relationship and the end of a marriage.
leave someone (for someone)
Sometimes the end of a relationship is not a mutual decision. One person decides that the relationship is over and leaves the other person.
dump someone
This is another synonym for break up, but it is more informal. It is not something that you do together. One person dumps another person. It’s not a nice thing to do to someone! It usually means that it was sudden and unexpected.
You can also be dumped by someone.
break off an engagement
There is a period of time between a marriage proposal (when someone asks you to marry him or her) and the wedding. During this time the couple is engaged. However, sometimes a person may feel that he or she is not ready to get married and so they end the engagement.
An informal synonym is call off a wedding. This is when you have already planned the wedding, but you decide end the engagement before the wedding.
get over someone
Sometimes it takes people a long time to get over a break-up. It takes a long time to stop feeling unhappy, start feeling happy and forget about your boyfriend or girlfriend after the end of a relationship.
It took a long time for him to get over Samantha.
I’m still getting over my break-up with Sam.
separate (from someone)
Sadly, not all marriages last forever. Sometimes couples will separate. They stop living together, but they have not legally ended their relationship.
Pronunciation note: The verb separate /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/ or /ˈsɛpɚˌeɪt/ is pronounced differently from the adjective separate /ˈsɛpərət/ or /ˈsɛprət/.
divorce (someone)
A divorce [noun form] is the legal end of a marriage. The opposite of married is divorced [adjective form]. You can divorce someone or get a divorce from someone [verb forms].
After the divorce, the other person as your ex-husband or ex-wife, or just your ex.
my ex -When a relationship ends, the other person becomes your ex. This is short for ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend.
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