1. Take apart into its constituent pieces
   "He broke apart the clock to repair it";
   - disassemble, dismantle, take apart, break up
    
2. Break violently or noisily; smash
   "The ship broke apart on the rocks";
   - crash, break up
    
3. Break up or separate
   "Yugoslavia broke apart after 1989";
   - disunify

Derived forms: broken apart, breaking apart, broke apart, breaks apart

Type of: break, break up, destroy, destruct, disintegrate, part, separate, spifflicate [Brit, informal], spiflicate [Brit, informal], split, split up, uncreate [literary]

Antonym: unite