the breaks

Idioms and Phrases

Pieces of luck, turns of events, as in No matter how well he pitches, the team always makes fielding errors—that's the breaks, I guess , or There's not much you can do if the breaks are against you . In the singular and modified forms, this term becomes good or bad or lucky break . In the plural form, only the context determines its favorable or unfavorable meaning. [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see tough break .