Breakups can be hard, especially when people care about each other. It’s a time when people feel sad, hurt, or even confused. Sometimes, it’s tough to talk about how we feel during a breakup. That’s why people use idioms. Idioms are special phrases that help us show feelings in a fun or creative way. They don’t always mean exactly what the words say, but they help people understand emotions better.
In this article, we will look at idioms people use when they go through a breakup. These idioms can show sadness, healing, and even moving on. Learning them can help you talk about feelings in a clear and interesting way. Let’s take a look at some of the most common breakup idioms and what they mean.
Idioms About Breakups
1. Break it off
Meaning: To end a romantic relationship
Example Sentence:
• Jenny and Mike decided to break it off after arguing a lot.
• He broke it off because they wanted different things.
Other ways to say: End it, call it quits
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase comes from the idea of “breaking” a connection.
Usage: Used when someone ends a relationship.
2. Call it quits
Meaning: To agree to stop a relationship
Example Sentence:
• They called it quits after a year of dating.
• We both knew it was time to call it quits.
Other ways to say: End it, be done
Fun Fact/Origin: “Quits” means to be even or finished.
Usage: Used when two people agree to stop being together.
3. On the rocks
Meaning: The relationship is in trouble
Example Sentence:
• Their friendship is on the rocks after the fight.
• Mom said her marriage was on the rocks.
Other ways to say: Falling apart, shaky
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from ships crashing on rocks in the ocean.
Usage: Used when a relationship is not going well.
4. Go separate ways
Meaning: To stop being together and live apart
Example Sentence:
• After high school, they went their separate ways.
• We decided to go our separate ways after the breakup.
Other ways to say: Split up, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: “Separate ways” means different paths.
Usage: Used when people stop being a couple.
5. Fall out of love
Meaning: To stop having romantic feelings
Example Sentence:
• They fell out of love after many years.
• Sometimes people just fall out of love.
Other ways to say: Lose feelings, stop caring
Fun Fact/Origin: Falling “out” of love is the opposite of falling “in” love.
Usage: Used when love fades over time.
6. Break someone’s heart
Meaning: To make someone very sad by ending things
Example Sentence:
• She broke his heart when she left.
• That movie broke my heart—it was so sad.
Other ways to say: Hurt deeply, cause heartache
Fun Fact/Origin: People say the heart feels emotion.
Usage: Used when someone is deeply hurt emotionally.
7. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To feel bad about something that can’t be fixed
Example Sentence:
• I know it hurts, but don’t cry over spilled milk.
• She kept crying over spilled milk after the breakup.
Other ways to say: Let it go, don’t dwell
Fun Fact/Origin: From real milk spills—no use crying over them.
Usage: Used to remind someone not to stay sad over the past.
8. It’s not you, it’s me
Meaning: A common way to break up and take the blame
Example Sentence:
• He said, “It’s not you, it’s me” during the breakup.
• That’s what people say when they don’t want to hurt feelings.
Other ways to say: I’m the problem, not you
Fun Fact/Origin: Often heard in TV shows and movies.
Usage: Used to make a breakup seem easier.
9. Mend a broken heart
Meaning: To heal after being very sad
Example Sentence:
• It took time, but she mended her broken heart.
• He’s trying to mend his broken heart with music.
Other ways to say: Heal, get better
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of fixing something broken.
Usage: Used when someone is recovering emotionally.
10. Give someone the cold shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone
Example Sentence:
• After they broke up, he gave her the cold shoulder.
• She gave me the cold shoulder all day.
Other ways to say: Ignore, shut out
Fun Fact/Origin: “Cold shoulder” means turning away from someone.
Usage: Used when people avoid each other after a fight or breakup.
11. Kiss and make up
Meaning: To stop fighting and be friends or a couple again
Example Sentence:
• They had a fight but kissed and made up.
• Sometimes people just need to kiss and make up.
Other ways to say: Forgive each other, get back together
Fun Fact/Origin: Kissing is a common way to show peace or love.
Usage: Used when people stop being angry and reconnect.
12. Hit a rough patch
Meaning: To go through a hard time
Example Sentence:
• They hit a rough patch in their relationship.
• Even best friends hit rough patches sometimes.
Other ways to say: Struggle, face problems
Fun Fact/Origin: From rough roads being hard to drive on.
Usage: Used when a relationship isn’t going smoothly.
13. Be history
Meaning: To no longer be in a relationship
Example Sentence:
• After the breakup, she said, “He’s history.”
• We’re history now—it’s over.
Other ways to say: It’s over, done
Fun Fact/Origin: History is the past. This idiom means the relationship is in the past.
Usage: Used when something is completely over.
14. Let someone down easy
Meaning: To break up in a gentle way
Example Sentence:
• He tried to let her down easy.
• It’s kind to let someone down easy during a breakup.
Other ways to say: Be gentle, break it softly
Fun Fact/Origin: “Easy” here means without too much pain.
Usage: Used when someone ends things carefully.
15. Drift apart
Meaning: To slowly stop being close
Example Sentence:
• We drifted apart after high school.
• They were best friends but drifted apart.
Other ways to say: Grow distant, lose touch
Fun Fact/Origin: Drifting means slowly moving away.
Usage: Used when people grow apart over time.
16. Carry a torch
Meaning: To still love someone after the breakup
Example Sentence:
• He still carries a torch for his ex.
• She carried a torch for him even after he moved away.
Other ways to say: Still have feelings, not over someone
Fun Fact/Origin: A torch gives light—this one means holding on to love.
Usage: Used when someone still has feelings after a breakup.
17. Left high and dry
Meaning: To be left alone without help
Example Sentence:
• He left me high and dry when I needed him.
• She felt high and dry after the breakup.
Other ways to say: Abandoned, left alone
Fun Fact/Origin: From ships stuck on dry land when water goes out.
Usage: Used when someone feels forgotten or unsupported.
18. Tie the knot (and then untie it)
Meaning: Get married, then divorce
Example Sentence:
• They tied the knot last year, but now they’ve untied it.
• Some people tie the knot, but it doesn’t always last.
Other ways to say: Marry and separate
Fun Fact/Origin: A knot symbolizes joining together.
Usage: Used when people marry and later break up.
19. Not meant to be
Meaning: Something was never going to work out
Example Sentence:
• We tried, but it wasn’t meant to be.
• Some friendships just aren’t meant to be.
Other ways to say: Not a good match, not right
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of fate or destiny.
Usage: Used when people say a breakup was bound to happen.
20. Burn bridges
Meaning: To end something in a way that can’t be fixed
Example Sentence:
• She burned bridges when she left without a word.
• Don’t burn bridges—you might want to be friends later.
Other ways to say: End badly, cut ties
Fun Fact/Origin: Burning a bridge means you can’t go back.
Usage: Used when someone ends a relationship with no hope of fixing it.
21. Cold feet
Meaning: To get scared and back out
Example Sentence:
• He got cold feet before the wedding.
• She had cold feet about dating again.
Other ways to say: Nervous, back out
Fun Fact/Origin: Cold feet = feeling scared and unsure
Usage: Used when someone is afraid to commit.
22. No love lost
Meaning: Two people don’t like each other
Example Sentence:
• After the breakup, there was no love lost between them.
• There’s no love lost—they avoid each other now.
Other ways to say: Dislike each other, not friends
Fun Fact/Origin: Means there’s no love left to lose
Usage: Used when people don’t miss each other after a breakup.
23. Carry baggage
Meaning: To bring problems from past relationships
Example Sentence:
• He carried a lot of baggage from his last breakup.
• I don’t want to bring baggage into a new friendship.
Other ways to say: Bring past problems, emotional weight
Fun Fact/Origin: Baggage means luggage. Here, it’s emotional.
Usage: Used when past hurt affects new relationships.
24. Back on the market
Meaning: Single again after a breakup
Example Sentence:
• She’s back on the market after the split.
• He told his friends he’s back on the market.
Other ways to say: Single, available
Fun Fact/Origin: “Market” is used like shopping—looking for love again.
Usage: Used when someone is single and ready to date.
25. Cut ties
Meaning: To completely stop contact
Example Sentence:
• She cut ties with him after the breakup.
• They cut ties and never talked again.
Other ways to say: End it, no contact
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of cutting something that links you.
Usage: Used when people stop talking or seeing each other for good.
Quiz: Idioms About Breakups
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “break it off” mean?
A) To take a break from school
B) To end a relationship
C) To break something by accident
2. If two people “go their separate ways,” what happened?
A) They started a business
B) They had dinner together
C) They ended the relationship
3. What does “give someone the cold shoulder” mean?
A) Offer someone a jacket
B) Ignore someone
C) Hug someone tightly
4. What does it mean when someone “carries a torch”?
A) They are still in love
B) They are lighting the way
C) They are afraid of the dark
5. If someone “cut ties,” what did they do?
A) Made a bracelet
B) Stopped all contact
C) Tied a rope
6. What does “call it quits” mean in a relationship?
A) Take a short break
B) Decide to stay friends
C) Agree to end things
7. When people “drift apart,” what happens?
A) They get lost on a trip
B) They slowly stop being close
C) They move to the same city
8. What does “left high and dry” mean?
A) Someone is wet and cold
B) Someone is alone without help
C) Someone is taking a shower
9. If someone is “back on the market,” what does that mean?
A) They are shopping for groceries
B) They are single again
C) They are opening a store
10. What does it mean to “burn bridges” after a breakup?
A) Start a campfire
B) Say goodbye nicely
C) End things with no chance of going back
Answer Key
- B – To end a relationship
- C – They ended the relationship
- B – Ignore someone
- A – They are still in love
- B – Stopped all contact
- C – Agree to end things
- B – They slowly stop being close
- B – Someone is alone without help
- B – They are single again
- C – End things with no chance of going back
Wrapping Up
Breakups can feel tough, but knowing idioms can help us talk about them better. These phrases let us express feelings in a simple way. Whether you’re sad, ready to move on, or trying to heal, there’s an idiom for it. Learning them helps us understand what others feel too.
Keep these idioms in mind next time you read, write, or talk about breakups. They make hard times easier to explain and share. Language can comfort, even when our hearts hurt a little.
