View synonyms for break

break

[ breyk ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

, broke or (Archaic) brake; bro·ken or (Archaic) broke; break·ing.

to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments:
He broke a vase.
Synonyms: shiver, splinter, fracture
Antonyms: repair
to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.):
She broke her promise.
Synonyms: contravene, disobey
to dissolve or annul (often followed by off ):
to break off friendly relations with another country.
to fracture a bone of (some part of the body):
He broke his leg.
to lacerate; wound:
to break the skin.
to destroy or disrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt:
The bleating of a foghorn broke the silence. The troops broke formation.
Synonyms: disrupt
to put an end to; overcome; stop: She found it hard to break the cigarette habit.
His touchdown run broke the tie.
She found it hard to break the cigarette habit.
to discover the system, key, method, etc., for decoding or deciphering (a cryptogram), especially by the methods of cryptanalysis.
to remove a part from (a set or collection):
She had to break the set to sell me the two red ones I wanted.
to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components:
She broke a dollar bill into change. The prism broke the light into all the colors of the rainbow.
to make a way through; penetrate:
The stone broke the surface of the water.
Law.
1. to open or force one's way into (a dwelling, store, etc.).
2. to contest (a will) successfully by judicial action.
to make one's way out of, especially by force:
to break jail.
to better (a given score or record):
He never broke 200 in bowling or 80 in golf.
Synonyms: beat, surpass
to disclose or divulge personally in speech or writing:
He broke the bad news to her in an early morning phone call.
to solve:
The police needed only a week to break that case.
to rupture (a blood vessel):
She almost broke a blood vessel from laughing so hard.
to disable or destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing:
to break a watch.
to cause (a blister, boil, or the like) to burst, as by puncturing:
She broke the blister with a needle.
to ruin financially; make bankrupt:
They threatened to break him if he didn't stop discounting their products.
to overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of; to cause to yield, especially under pressure, torture, or the like:
They broke him by the threat of blackmail.
to dismiss or reduce in rank.
Synonyms: demote
to impair or weaken the power, effect, or intensity of:
His arm broke the blow.
to train to obedience; tame:
to break a horse.
to train away from a habit or practice (usually followed by of ).
Electricity. to render (a circuit) incomplete; stop the flow of (a current).
Journalism.
1. to release (a news story) for publication or airing, as on television or radio, in print, or on the internet:
  The paper broke the scandal in its morning edition.
2. to continue (a story or article) on another page, especially when the page is not the following one.
Billiards, Pool. to cause (racked billiard balls) to scatter by striking with the cue ball.
Sports.
1. (of a baseball pitcher, cricket bowler, etc.) to hurl (a ball) in such a way as to cause it to change direction after leaving the hand:
  He broke a curve over the plate for a strike.
2. (in tennis and other racket games) to score frequently or win against (an opponent's serve).
Slang. (of a story, image, etc.) to dominate (a digital media platform) with a sudden surge of interest or rapid, viral spread: The celebrity feud-turned-romance broke Twitter with a marriage proposal.
This is all a publicity stunt they hope will break the internet.
The celebrity feud-turned-romance broke Twitter with a marriage proposal.
Nautical. to unfurl (a flag) suddenly by an easily released knot.
to prove the falsity or show the lack of logic of:
The FBI broke his alibi by proving he knew how to shoot a pistol.
to begin or initiate (a plan or campaign), especially with much publicity:
They were going to break the sales campaign with a parade in April.
to open the breech or action of (a shotgun, rifle, or revolver), as by snapping open the hinge between the barrel and the butt.

verb (used without object)

, broke or (Archaic) brake; bro·ken or (Archaic) broke; break·ing.

to shatter, burst, or become broken; separate into parts or fragments, especially suddenly and violently:
The glass broke on the floor.
Synonyms: smash, fragment
to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted; stop abruptly:
She pulled too hard and the string broke.
to become detached, separated, or disassociated (usually followed by away, off, or from ):
The knob broke off in his hand.
to become inoperative or to malfunction, as through wear or damage:
The television set broke this afternoon.
to begin suddenly or violently or change abruptly into something else:
War broke over Europe.
to begin uttering a sound or series of sounds or to be uttered suddenly:
She broke into song. When they entered, a cheer broke from the audience.
to express or start to express an emotion or mood:
His face broke into a smile.
to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint or dependency (often followed by away ):
He broke away from the arresting officer. She finally broke away from her parents and got an apartment of her own.
to run or dash toward something suddenly (usually followed by for ):
The pass receiver broke for the goal line.
to force a way (usually followed by in, into, or through ):
The hunters broke through the underbrush.
to burst or rupture:
A blood vessel broke in his nose. The blister broke when he pricked it.
to interrupt or halt an activity (usually followed by in, into, forth, or from ):
Don't break in on the conversation. Let's break for lunch.
to appear or arrive suddenly (usually followed by in, into, or out ):
A deer broke into the clearing. A rash broke out on her arm.
to dawn:
The day broke hot and sultry.
to begin violently and suddenly:
The storm broke.
(of a storm, foul weather, etc.) to cease:
The weather broke after a week, and we were able to sail for home.
to part the surface of water, as a jumping fish or surfacing submarine.
to give way or fail, as health, strength, or spirit; collapse:
After years of hardship and worry, his health broke.
to yield or submit to pressure, torture, or the like:
He broke under questioning.
(of the heart) to be overwhelmed with sorrow:
Her heart broke when he told her that he no longer loved her.
(of the voice or a musical instrument) to change harshly from one register or pitch to another:
After his voice broke, he could no longer sing soprano parts.
(of the voice) to cease, waver, or change tone abruptly, especially from emotional strain:
His voice broke when he mentioned her name.
(of value or prices) to drop sharply and considerably.
to disperse or collapse by colliding with something:
The waves broke on the shore.
to break dance.
(of a horse in a harness race) to fail to keep to a trot or pace, as by starting to gallop.
Biology. to mutate.
Linguistics. to undergo breaking.
Billiards, Pool. to make a break; take the first turn in a game.
Sports. (of a pitched or bowled ball, as in baseball or cricket) to change direction:
The ball broke over the plate.
Horse Racing, Track. to leave the starting point:
The horses broke fast from the gate.
Boxing. to step back or separate from a clinch:
The fighters fell into a clinch and broke on the referee's order.
to take place; occur.
Journalism. (of a news story) to become publicly known, published, or aired:
On Friday news of his death broke on social media.
Horticulture. to produce flowers or leaves.

noun

an act or instance of breaking; disruption or separation of parts; fracture; rupture:
Unfortunately for the guitarist, the break was in his right thumb.
Synonyms: crack, fissure, breach, split, rift, rip, tear, rent
an opening made by breaking; gap:
The break in the wall had not been repaired.
a rush away from a place; an attempt to escape:
a break for freedom.
a sudden dash or rush, as toward something:
When the rain lessened, I made a break for home.
a suspension of or sudden rupture in friendly relations.
an interruption of continuity; departure from or rupture with:
Abstract painters made a break with the traditions of the past.
Synonyms: caesura, pause, lacuna, hiatus, stop
an abrupt or marked change, as in sound or direction, or a brief pause:
They noticed a curious break in his voice.
Informal.
1. an opportunity or stroke of fortune, especially a lucky one.
2. a chance to improve one's lot, especially one unlooked for or undeserved.
the breaks, Informal. the way things happen; fate:
Sorry to hear about your bad luck, but I guess those are the breaks.
a brief rest, as from work:
The actors took a ten-minute break from rehearsal.
Radio, Television. a brief, scheduled interruption of a program or broadcasting period for the announcement of advertising or station identification.
Prosody. a pause or caesura.
Jazz. a solo passage, usually lasting from 2 to 12 bars, during which the rest of the instruments are silent.
Music. the point in the scale where the quality of voice of one register changes to that of another, as from chest to head.
break dancing.
a sharp and considerable drop in the prices of stock issues.
Electricity. an opening or discontinuity in a circuit.
Printing.
1. one or more blank lines between two paragraphs.
2. breaks. suspension points.
the place, after a letter, where a word is or may be divided at the end of a line.
a collapse of health, strength, or spirit; breakdown.
Informal. a mistake, especially a social blunder:
I'm just learning the game, so I may be expected to make some wild breaks.
Billiards, Pool.
1. the opening play, in which the cue ball is shot to scatter the balls.
2. a series of successful strokes; run.
Sports. a change in direction of a pitched or bowled ball, as in baseball or cricket.
Horse Racing, Track. the start of a race.
(in harness racing) an act or instance of a horse's changing from a trot or pace into a gallop or other step.
Bowling. a failure to knock down all ten pins in a single frame.
Boxing. an act or instance of stepping back or separating from a clinch:
a clean break.
any of several stages in the grinding of grain in which the bran is separated from the kernel.
Biology. mutation ( def 1a ).
Journalism. the point at the bottom of a column where a printed story is carried over to another column or page.
Nautical. the place at which a superstructure, deckhouse, or the like, rises from the main deck of a vessel.
breaks, Physical Geography. an area dissected by small ravines and gullies.
Mining. a fault or offset, as in a vein or bed of ore.

verb phrase

1. to become ineffective.
2. to lose control of oneself:
  He broke down and wept at the sad news.
3. to have a physical or mental collapse.
4. to cease to function:
  The car broke down.
5. to itemize:
  to break down a hotel bill into daily charges.
6. Chemistry. to separate (a compound) into its constituent molecules.
7. Electricity. (of an insulator) to fail, as when subjected to excessively high voltage, permitting a current to pass.
8. to decompose.
9. to analyze.
10. to classify.
11. to separate into constituent parts:
  to break down a beef carcass into basic cuts.
1. to begin abruptly; arise:
  An epidemic broke out.
2. Pathology. (of certain diseases) to appear in eruptions.
3. (of a person) to manifest a skin eruption.
4. to prepare for use:
  to break out the parachutes.
5. to take out of (storage, concealment, etc.) for consumption:
  to break out one's best wine.
6. Nautical. to dislodge (the anchor) from the bottom.
7. to escape; flee:
  He spent three years in prison before he broke out.
8. to separate into categories or list specific items: The report breaks out quarterly profits and losses.
  to break out gift ideas according to price range;
  The report breaks out quarterly profits and losses.
1. to sever relations with; separate from:
  to break with one's family.
2. to depart from; repudiate:
  to break with tradition.
to enter with force upon or accidentally interrupt; intrude upon:
The visitor opened the wrong door and broke in on a private conference.
1. to separate; scatter.
2. to put an end to; discontinue.
3. to divide or become divided into pieces.
4. to dissolve.
5. to disrupt; upset:
  Television commercials during a dramatic presentation break up the continuity of effect.
6. (of a personal relationship) to end: Their marriage broke up last year.
  to break up a friendship;
  Their marriage broke up last year.
7. to end a personal relationship:
  Bob and Mary broke up last month.
8. to be or cause to be overcome with laughter:
  The comedian told several jokes that broke up the audience.
1. to sever by breaking.
2. to stop suddenly; discontinue: to break off relations with one's neighbors.
  to break off a conversation;
  to break off relations with one's neighbors.
1. to interpose; interrupt:
  He broke into the conversation at a crucial moment.
2. to begin some activity.
3. to be admitted into; enter, as a business or profession:
  It is difficult to break into the theater.
4. to enter by force:
  They broke into the store and stole the safe.
1. to enter by force or craft:
  Someone broke in and made off with all the furniture.
2. to train or instruct; initiate:
  The boss is breaking in a new assistant.
3. to begin to wear or use in order to make comfortable:
  These shoes haven't been broken in.
4. to interrupt:
  He broke in with a ridiculous objection.
5. to run (new machinery) initially under reduced load and speed, until any stiffness of motion has departed and all parts are ready to operate under normal service conditions; run in; wear in.
1. to leave or escape, especially suddenly or hurriedly.
2. to sever connections or allegiance, as to tradition or a political group.
3. to start prematurely:
  The horse broke away from the starting gate.
Tennis. to win a game served by an opponent immediately after the opponent has done so against one's own serve.

break

/ breɪk /

verb

to separate or become separated into two or more pieces
this cup is broken
to damage or become damaged so as to be inoperative
my radio is broken
to crack or become cracked without separating
to burst or cut the surface of (skin, etc)
to discontinue or become discontinued
they broke for lunch
to break a journey
to disperse or become dispersed
the clouds broke
tr to fail to observe (an agreement, promise, law, etc)
to break one's word
foll by with to discontinue an association (with)
to disclose or be disclosed
he broke the news gently
tr to fracture (a bone) in (a limb, etc)
tr to divide (something complete or perfect)
to break a set of books
to bring or come to an end
the summer weather broke at last
tr to bring to an end by or as if by force
to break a strike
whenintr, often foll by out to escape (from)
he broke jail
he broke out of jail
to weaken or overwhelm or be weakened or overwhelmed, as in spirit
tr to cut through or penetrate
a cry broke the silence
tr to improve on or surpass
to break a record
troften foll byin to accustom (a horse) to the bridle and saddle, to being ridden, etc
troften foll byof to cause (a person) to give up (a habit)
this cure will break you of smoking
tr to weaken the impact or force of
this net will break his fall
tr to decipher
to break a code
tr to lose the order of
to break ranks
tr to reduce to poverty or the state of bankruptcy
whenintr, foll by into to obtain, give, or receive smaller units in exchange for; change
to break a pound note
tr military to demote to a lower rank
intr; often foll by from or out of to proceed suddenly
intr to come into being
light broke over the mountains
intr; foll by into or out into
1. to burst into song, laughter, etc
2. to change to a faster pace
tr to open with explosives
to break a safe
intr of waves
1. often foll by against to strike violently
2. to collapse into foam or surf
intr (esp of fish) to appear above the surface of the water
intr (of the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby) to be released when the amniotic sac ruptures in the first stage of labour
her waters have broken
informal.
intr to turn out in a specified manner
things are breaking well
intr (of prices, esp stock exchange quotations) to fall sharply
intr to make a sudden effort, as in running, horse racing, etc
intr cricket (of a ball) to change direction on bouncing
tr cricket (of a player) to knock down at least one bail from (a wicket)
intr billiards snooker to scatter the balls at the start of a game
intr horse racing to commence running in a race
they broke even
intr boxing wrestling (of two fighters) to separate from a clinch
intr music
1. (of the male voice) to undergo a change in register, quality, and range at puberty
2. (of the voice or some instruments) to undergo a change in tone, quality, etc, when changing registers
intr phonetics (of a vowel) to turn into a diphthong, esp as a development in the language
tr to open the breech of (certain firearms) by snapping the barrel away from the butt on its hinge
tr to interrupt the flow of current in (an electrical circuit) Compare make 1
informal.
intr to become successful; make a breakthrough
break bread
1. to eat a meal, esp with others
2. Christianity to administer or participate in Holy Communion
break camp
to pack up equipment and leave a camp
break ground or break new ground
to do something that has not been done before
to overwork or work very hard
break the back of
to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)
break the bank
to ruin financially or deplete the resources of a bank (as in gambling)
break the ice
1. to relieve shyness or reserve, esp between strangers
2. to be the first of a group to do something
break the mould
to make a change that breaks an established habit, pattern, etc
break service
tennis to win a game in which an opponent is serving
break wind
to emit wind from the anus

noun

the act or result of breaking; fracture
a crack formed as the result of breaking
a brief respite or interval between two actions
a break from one's toil
a sudden rush, esp to escape
to make a break for freedom
a breach in a relationship
she has made a break from her family
any sudden interruption in a continuous action
a short period between classes at school US and Canadian equivalentrecess
informal.
a fortunate opportunity, esp to prove oneself
informal.
a piece of (good or bad) luck
(esp in a stock exchange) a sudden and substantial decline in prices
prosody a pause in a line of verse; caesura
billiards snooker
1. a series of successful shots during one turn
2. the points scored in such a series
billiards snooker
1. the opening shot with the cue ball that scatters the placed balls
2. the right to take this first shot
Also calledservice breakbreak of serve tennis the act or instance of breaking an opponent's service
one of the intervals in a sporting contest
horse racing the start of a race
an even break
(in tenpin bowling) failure to knock down all the pins after the second attempt
1. jazz a short usually improvised solo passage
2. an instrumental passage in a pop song
a discontinuity in an electrical circuit
access to a radio channel by a citizens' band operator
a variant spelling of brake 1

interjection

boxing wrestling a command by a referee for two opponents to separate

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Other Words From

break·a·ble adjective
break·a·ble·ness noun
break·a·bly adverb
break·less adjective
non·break·a·ble adjective
re·break verb rebroke rebroken rebreaking
un·break·a·ble adjective
un·break·a·ble·ness noun
un·break·a·bly adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of break¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English breken, Old English brecan; cognate with Dutch breken, German brechen, Gothic brikan; akin to Latin frangere; fragile

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Word History and Origins

Origin of break¹

Old English brecan ; related to Old Frisian breka , Gothic brikan , Old High German brehhan , Latin frangere Sanskrit bhráj bursting forth

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

break a leg, (used to wish someone good luck before a performance, especially a play.)
break bulk, Nautical. to remove a cargo wholly or in part.
break camp, to pack up tents and equipment and resume a journey or march:
They broke camp at dawn and proceeded toward the mountains.
break even, to finish a business transaction, period of gambling, series of games, etc., with no loss or gain:
He played poker all night and broke even.
break ground,
1. to begin construction, especially of a building or group of buildings:
  to break ground for a new housing development.
2. Nautical. to free an anchor from the bottom; break out.
break it down, Australian Slang.
1. stop it; calm down.
2. (used as an exclamation of disbelief ) that can't be true!
break service, Tennis. to win a game served by one's opponent.
break sheer, Nautical. (of an anchored vessel) to drift into such a position as to risk fouling the anchor or anchor cable. Compare sheer ²( def 6 ).
break wind, to expel gas from the stomach and bowels through the anus.
break someone's heart, to cause someone great disappointment or sorrow, as to disappoint in love:
It breaks my heart to hear you are leaving me.
give me a break, Informal. (used to express annoyance, disbelief, etc.):
He didn't show up again? Oh, give me a break!
break step. step ( def 38 ).

More idioms and phrases containing break

get a break
give someone a break
make a break for it
make or break
never give a sucker an even break
take a break
tough break
broke

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Synonym Study

Break, crush, shatter, smash mean to reduce to parts, violently or by force. Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like: to break a chair, a leg, a strap. To crush is to subject to (usually heavy or violent) pressure so as to press out of shape or reduce to shapelessness or to small particles: to crush a beetle. To shatter is to break in such a way as to cause the pieces to fly in many directions: to shatter a light globe. To smash is to break noisily and suddenly into many pieces: to smash a glass.

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Example Sentences

Matt Rife is taking a two-week break from his stand-up comedy world tour due to ‘extreme exhaustion.’

From Los Angeles Times

That’s sent water treatment operators scrambling to find ways to decontaminate water supplies without breaking the bank.

From Science Magazine

There will be no winter break in this campaign either - meaning clubs will be playing pretty much solidly until the first World Cup qualifiers - and next Nations League games - take place in March.

From BBC

The New Zealander, who has rejected speculation that there is a break clause after next year's Six Nations in his contract, said he would resign if it was in the interests of Welsh rugby.

From BBC

Now breaking down game film from Michigan games on Sundays, Alford rarely gets to watch his protege for extended periods now.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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