Break up

break up & breaks up breaking up broke up broken up

1. break... up p.v. When youbreak up a fight, you stop the fight.

Two students were fighting, and the teacherbroke themup.

There was no way I couldbreak up the fight between the two dogs.

2. break... up p.v. When a gathering of people separates, itbreaks up. When the police tell people who are gathered together in a crowd to separate and leave the area, the policebreak the gatheringup.

The meeting shouldbreak up around 3:00.

The police ordered the gang members tobreak itup.

The demonstration wasbroken up by riot police.

3. break ...up (with) p.v. When two people end a romantic relationship, they break up. When you end a romantic relationship with another person, youbreak upwith that person. When other people cause a couple tobreak up, theybreak the coupleup.

I was sad to hear that Jim and Nancy hadbroken up.

It was Jim's secretary whobroke themup.

breakup n. When two people end a romantic relationshipsbreakup occurs. Nancy is very upset about thebreakup.

4. break... up p.v. When something breaks into smaller pieces, itbreaks up. When you break something into smaller pieces, youbreak itup.

The meteorbroke up when it entered Earth's atmosphere.

Sallybroke the cookieup before giving it to her baby.

breakup n. When something breaks into smaller pieces, abreakup takes place. Thebreakup of AT&T created several smaller telephone companies.

5. break... up p.v. When somethingbreaks up the day or some other period of time, it interrupts that time and makes it less boring.

The bank guard likes to chat with the tellers once in a while tobreak up the day.

My day wasbroken up by a going-away party for one of my coworkers.

Infinitive
	present tense	-ing form	past tense	past participle
call back
	call back & calls back	calling back	called backed	called back

1. call ...back p.v. When youcall someone back, you call a person on the telephone who has called you earlier.

Janice left a message asking me tocall herback.

Bob wascalled back by the salesman.

2. call... back p.v. When you leave a place or walk away from a person and are then asked to return, you arecalled back.

/ remembered something after she walked away, and Icalled herback.

Mike handed his letter of resignation to his boss, but he wascalled back after he left the office.

Call up

call up & calls up calling up called up called up

1. call ...up p.v. When youcall people up, you call them on the telephone.

Nicolecalled meup and asked me to come to her party. Every evening I'mcalled up by charities asking for money.