breakup

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. the act of a large group or company splitting into smaller parts.

n. the disintegration or division of a large entity, such as a corporation or political union, into smaller components.

“The breakup of the large company led to several smaller, independent businesses.”

“Historians continue to debate the long-term geopolitical consequences resulting from the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early nineties.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Dialect

n. the time of year when ice on rivers or lakes starts to melt and break apart.

n. the seasonal disintegration of ice on bodies of water, typically marking the transition from winter to spring in northern climates.

“The villagers watched the river closely during the spring breakup to prepare for possible flooding.”

“During the annual breakup, the thunderous sound of shifting ice floes can be heard for miles across the tundra.”