rupture
To burst or break apart suddenly.
rupture in a sentence
- A sharp stone caused the tyre to rupture with a loud bang halfway up the hill.
- A frozen pipe can rupture in winter, bursting open and flooding the kitchen floor.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to rupture?
- Ajoin
- Bmend
- Cseal
- Dburst
Show the answer
D: burst. The other three mean the opposite of rupture.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to rupture?
- Amend
- Bsplit
- Cburst
- Dbreak
Show the answer
A: mend. The other three mean nearly the same as rupture.
Words that mean something similar
burst, break, split
Words that mean the opposite
mend, seal, join
More words about movement & action
- salvage: To save something useful from a wreck or disaster.
- saunter: To walk in a slow and relaxed way with no hurry at all.
- scavenge: To search through leftovers or rubbish for anything useful to eat or keep.
- scour: To search every part of a place very carefully.
- scuttle: To run with quick short steps, often to hide.
- seize: To grab something suddenly and firmly.
- sever: To cut something completely in two or break it off.
- shudder: To shake suddenly because you are cold, scared or disgusted; or that sudden shake.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test