make a clean break
idiom
: to end a relationship quickly
If you don't want to keep dating him, you should just make a clean break instead of dragging it out.
Examples of make a clean break in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rob, alone, manages to make a clean break from the posh world of London that he’s long yearned to fit into.
—
Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The party won’t likely make a clean break, however -- more of an incremental pulling away.
—Michael Tomasky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
The staircase’s lead project coordinator, Bridget O’Hanlon, who serves under Ms. Moy as deputy commissioner for design and construction, is determined to make a clean break from Albany’s tradition of applying temporary salves to gaping structural wounds at the Capitol.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Move in with a friend, make a clean break, and don’t look back.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make a clean break 
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.
Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The party won’t likely make a clean break, however -- more of an incremental pulling away.
—Michael Tomasky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
The staircase’s lead project coordinator, Bridget O’Hanlon, who serves under Ms. Moy as deputy commissioner for design and construction, is determined to make a clean break from Albany’s tradition of applying temporary salves to gaping structural wounds at the Capitol.
—Jay Root, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Move in with a friend, make a clean break, and don’t look back.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for make a clean break
Dictionary Entries Near make a clean break
Cite this Entry
“Make a clean break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20clean%20break. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share