rupture meaning and examples

2025-08-30

Meaning

Rupture refers to a sudden break, tear, or split in something.

  • As a noun, it means a physical break (like in a pipe or body tissue) or a break in relationships.
  • As a verb, it means to cause something to break or burst suddenly.

Grammar and Usage

  • Part of speech: Noun, Verb

  • Verb forms: rupture – ruptures – ruptured – rupturing

  • Transitivity: Both transitive and intransitive

    • transitive: "The impact ruptured the tank."
    • intransitive: "The pipe ruptured under pressure."

Common structures:

  • rupture in + (body/relationship/structure)
  • rupture between + people/groups
  • rupture sth

Common Phrases

  • rupture of relations – a breakdown in diplomatic or personal ties
  • appendix rupture – medical condition when the appendix bursts
  • arterial rupture – break in a blood vessel
  • diplomatic rupture – a sudden break between countries

Collocations

  • noun + rupture: appendix rupture, pipe rupture, relationship rupture
  • verb + rupture: cause a rupture, suffer a rupture, prevent a rupture
  • rupture + noun: rupture relations, rupture friendship, rupture tissue

Examples

  1. The doctor explained that the patient had suffered a rupture of the appendix.
  2. A water main ruptured and flooded the entire street.
  3. The scandal caused a rupture in their long friendship.
  4. The balloon suddenly ruptured, startling everyone.
  5. There was a serious rupture between the two political parties.
  6. A violent argument ruptured the harmony of the group.
  7. Engineers worked quickly to repair the rupture in the pipeline.
  8. His injury included a ruptured tendon that required surgery.
  • For physical meaning: burst, break, split, tear, fracture
  • For relationship meaning: rift, conflict, break, estrangement, breach