Synonyms of break
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as in to disrupt 
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as in to stop
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as in to reduce
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as in to decipher
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as in to pause
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as in to plow
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as in to violate
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as in to solve
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as in to damage
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as in to die
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as in to retreat
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as in to wear
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as in to circulate
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as in to ruin
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as in to begin
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as in to veer
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as in to depress
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as in to exceed
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as in to surface
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as in pause
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as in vacation
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as in gap
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as in opportunity
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as in accident
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as in escape
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Related Articles
1
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase
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2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander
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4
as in to decipher
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis
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5
as in to pause
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime
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6
7
as in to violate
to fail to keep
had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone
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8
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds
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9
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above
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12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in to veer
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds
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17
as in to depress
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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18
as in to exceed
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
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1
as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in
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2
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
most of the students at the boarding school are going home for Christmas break
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3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rancher repaired the break in the fence where the horse had gotten through
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4
5
as in accident
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events
a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life
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as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Hailey Bieber just broke her streak of wearing ultra-subtle, barely there manis with a very out-of-character color choice.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Apr. 2025
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025
With things about to get bloody, June pulls the locomotive's emergency break, bringing it to a screeching halt.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
The Kansas City Star (660) 254-1083 Kendrick Calfee covers breaking news for The Kansas City Star with a focus on public safety.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Hailey Bieber just broke her streak of wearing ultra-subtle, barely there manis with a very out-of-character color choice.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Instead, Carti enjoys a smoke break while sipping and flexing some cash.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025
With things about to get bloody, June pulls the locomotive's emergency break, bringing it to a screeching halt.
—EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Shearing emphasized that there are no true winners in a tariff war, as higher prices harm consumers and disrupt global supply chains.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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Behind the scenes there was no doubt other dreams were dashed and processes disrupted.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Has Bacteria-Fighting Properties A study found that ACV helped stop the growth of two harmful bacteria: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli).—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
7 Apr. 2025
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Hansi Flick will surely remember the outstanding save from former Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian to stop Jules Kounde in the second half, as well as the last-minute cross from Raphinha that Robert Lewandowski or Fermin Lopez failed to tap in.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This has, among other losses, reduced Egyptian revenue from the Suez Canal by about eight hundred million dollars a month.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
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Cost Savings: Automation reduces labor costs and minimizes errors.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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After analyzing his journal, Cordelia was able to decipher the diligent log Wynter kept of each criminal statute and ethical code that Lilly broke while working her role at the White House, which included stealing money and securing shady contracts.—
Lexy Perez,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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As Saxon and Lochlan try to decipher what happened between them, we are asked to think about why we’re aroused (or repulsed) by it.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Notably, the case doesn’t challenge the latest round of levies imposed on Liberation Day, some of which have since been paused.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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But the new language from Republicans essentially pauses that clock, saying that days from now until Sept. 30 do not count.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Through 53 miles of relentless blizzard, Balto pressed on — plowing through snow drifts, skating over frozen rivers, pushing against unforgiving winds.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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At the same time, Republicans on Capitol Hill are plowing forward with legislation that would lock in lower taxes for American individuals and companies.—
Andrew Duehren,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Not the least of which is that the terms of the settlement clearly violate antitrust law, which was the grounds for the lawsuit in the first place.—
Joe Sabin,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Earlier in the episode, Whitfield and Lindy violate Mabel — then pour hot coffee on her — before Whitfield pushes her down on the breakfast table and rapes her.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Even in tools available today, programs that can generate artwork and solve coding problems are among the most popular.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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Additionally, the blockchain tracking system the FBI developed for this case can be used to solve future scams.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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