breakaway

1 of 3

noun

break·​away ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā How to pronounce breakaway (audio)
1
a
: one that breaks away
b
: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)
2
a
: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b
: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3
: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact

breakaway

2 of 3

adjective

1
: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2
: made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3
a
: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b
: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed

break away

3 of 3

verb

broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away

intransitive verb

1
: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away
2
: to depart from former or accustomed ways
3
: to pull away with a burst of speed

Examples of breakaway in a Sentence

Adjective A breakaway faction formed a new party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
But the Buckeyes had the best chance on the Tommies’ power play, with Strom stopping 11-goal scorer Joy Dunne on a breakaway. Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024 The series, which emerged as a breakaway hit with season one in 2022, features a cast of college students who make problematic choices one after the next, in a squirming but can’t stop watching manner. Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Furthermore, Moscow’s various calls for respect of the UN Charter would have been taken more seriously had Russia itself not unilaterally recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, or annexed Crimea and instigated a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014. Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2023 In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Verb
Tyler broke away from industry norms for Chromakopia’s rollout, electing to drop the project on a Monday morning rather than at the typical midnight Friday standard. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024 Only a handful of the lyrics are sung in English, proving that Tyla can continue breaking through the mainstream without breaking away from the sounds of her native South Africa. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for breakaway 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakaway was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near breakaway

Cite this Entry

“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on breakaway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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