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ENGLISH THESAURUS & DICTIONARY

break

noun · verb

Words like break

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MEANING & USAGE

Definitions & examples

01noun

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity

“the telephone is an annoying interruption”

“there was a break in the action when a player was hurt”

02noun

an unexpected piece of good luck

“he finally got his big break”

03noun

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

“they built it right over a geological fault”

“he studied the faulting of the earth's crust”

04noun

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)

“they hoped to avoid a break in relations”

71 more meanings

05noun

a pause from doing something (as work)

“we took a 10-minute break”

“he took time out to recuperate”

06noun

the act of breaking something

“the breakage was unavoidable”

07noun

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

08noun

breaking of hard tissue such as bone

“it was a nasty fracture”

“the break seems to have been caused by a fall”

09noun

the occurrence of breaking

“the break in the dam threatened the valley”

10noun

an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)

“then there was a break in her voice”

11noun

the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

12noun

(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving

“he was up two breaks in the second set”

13noun

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

“it was presented without commercial breaks”

“there was a gap in his account”

14noun

a sudden dash

“he made a break for the open door”

15noun

any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare

“the break in the eighth frame cost him the match”

16noun

an escape from jail

“the breakout was carefully planned”

17verb

terminate or end

“She interrupted her pregnancy”

“break a lucky streak”

18verb

become separated into pieces or fragments

“The figurine broke”

“The freshly baked loaf fell apart”

19verb

render inoperable or ineffective

“You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!”

20verb

ruin completely

“He busted my radio!”

21verb

destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments

“He broke the glass plate”

“She broke the match”

22verb

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

“offend all laws of humanity”

“violate the basic laws or human civilization”

23verb

move away or escape suddenly

“The horses broke from the stable”

“Three inmates broke jail”

24verb

scatter or part

“The clouds broke after the heavy downpour”

25verb

force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up

“break into tears”

“erupt in anger”

26verb

enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act

“Someone broke in while I was on vacation”

“They broke into my car and stole my radio!”

27verb

make submissive, obedient, or useful

“The horse was tough to break”

“I broke in the new intern”

28verb

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns

“This sentence violates the rules of syntax”

29verb

surpass in excellence

“She bettered her own record”

“break a record”

30verb

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

“The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold”

“The actress won't reveal how old she is”

31verb

come into being

“light broke over the horizon”

“Voices broke in the air”

32verb

stop operating or functioning

“The engine finally went”

“The car died on the road”

33verb

interrupt a continued activity

“She had broken with the traditional patterns”

34verb

make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing

“The ranks broke”

35verb

curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves

“The surf broke”

36verb

lessen in force or effect

“soften a shock”

“break a fall”

37verb

be broken in

“If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress”

38verb

come to an end (of an event)

“The heat wave finally broke yesterday”

39verb

vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity

“The flat plain was broken by tall mesas”

40verb

cause to give up a habit

“She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes”

41verb

give up

“break cigarette smoking”

42verb

come forth or begin from a state of latency

“The first winter storm broke over New York”

43verb

happen or take place

“Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months”

44verb

cause the failure or ruin of

“His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage”

“This play will either make or break the playwright”

45verb

invalidate by judicial action

“The will was broken”

46verb

discontinue an association or relation; go different ways

“The business partners broke over a tax question”

“The couple separated after 25 years of marriage”

47verb

assign to a lower position; reduce in rank

“She was demoted because she always speaks up”

“He was broken down to Sergeant”

48verb

reduce to bankruptcy

“My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!”

“The slump in the financial markets smashed him”

49verb

change directions suddenly

50verb

emerge from the surface of a body of water

“The whales broke”

51verb

break down, literally or metaphorically

“The wall collapsed”

“The business collapsed”

52verb

do a break dance

“Kids were break-dancing at the street corner”

53verb

exchange for smaller units of money

“I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy”

54verb

destroy the completeness of a set of related items

“The book dealer would not break the set”

55verb

make the opening shot that scatters the balls

56verb

separate from a clinch, in boxing

“The referee broke the boxers”

57verb

go to pieces

“The lawn mower finally broke”

“The gears wore out”

58verb

break a piece from a whole

“break a branch from a tree”

59verb

become punctured or penetrated

“The skin broke”

60verb

pierce or penetrate

“The blade broke her skin”

61verb

be released or become known; of news

“News of her death broke in the morning”

62verb

cease an action temporarily

“We pause for station identification”

“let's break for lunch”

63verb

interrupt the flow of current in

“break a circuit”

64verb

undergo breaking

“The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages”

65verb

find a flaw in

“break an alibi”

“break down a proof”

66verb

find the solution or key to

“break the code”

67verb

change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another

“Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children”

68verb

happen

“Report the news as it develops”

“These political movements recrudesce from time to time”

69verb

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

“The glass cracked when it was heated”

70verb

crack; of the male voice in puberty

“his voice is breaking — he should no longer sing in the choir”

71verb

fall sharply

“stock prices broke”

72verb

fracture a bone of

“I broke my foot while playing hockey”

“She broke her clavicle”

73verb

diminish or discontinue abruptly

“The patient's fever broke last night”

74verb

weaken or destroy in spirit or body

“His resistance was broken”

“a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death”

75verb

put an end to a state or an activity

“Quit teasing your little brother”

Meanings and examples from Open English WordNet 2025. About our sources ↗

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Word combinations

Words that go with “break”

break a habit · break a promise · break a record

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Idiom explained

break the ice

Make people feel more relaxed when they first meet or start talking.

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Expressions with “break”

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Explore multiword dictionary entries containing this word. Each has its own meanings and related words.

break in break up break off break out tax break tea break break away break camp