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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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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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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6
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
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Recent Examples of break
Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Two years ago, a record was broken when Grand Champion steer Snoop Dog commanded a whopping $440,000.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2025
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
Solo Ball raced to 13 points in the first half, continuing his otherworldly shooting, but didn’t have as many opportunities and went scoreless after the break.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break 
Verb
Brady noticed something wrong about the Lions’ defense as the Commanders broke their huddle.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2025
Two years ago, a record was broken when Grand Champion steer Snoop Dog commanded a whopping $440,000.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2025
Noun
It’s been a strange season for the Chiefs, who went 15-1 in games started by Mahomes but caught breaks along the way.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2025
Solo Ball raced to 13 points in the first half, continuing his otherworldly shooting, but didn’t have as many opportunities and went scoreless after the break.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Lower serotonin levels can disrupt this process, leading to constipation.87 Ongoing stress can also affect the gut barrier and make your intestines more sensitive to bacteria.—
Brittany Dube,
Health,
8 Feb. 2025
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Mahomes has a significant edge at quarterback over Jalen Hurts, but Philly’s defense can disrupt his timing in the pocket, contain his scrambles and lock down his receivers.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Outside of suicide, the only way for a terminally ill person in Ohio to hasten their own death is to refuse life-prolonging treatments or to stop eating and drinking.—
Tim Botos,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Even so, this may encourage some of us to stop hemming our maxi-dresses and jeans in favor of throwing on a hidden pair of extra-tall platforms.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Guided by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration has moved aggressively the past week to fire probationary workers across federal departments and agencies in an effort to drastically reduce the size of the government.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
21 Feb. 2025
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An extra set of eyes and ears helps reduce the odds of injury.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Once upon a planet Scholars have deciphered some of the first words from a Herculaneum scroll burned and buried in AD 79 during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
8 Feb. 2025
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Furthermore, the pole-to-pole probe will collect measurements at multiple times of day over sunlit regions, helping researchers decipher whether water signatures on the illuminated surface change as the lunar surface temperature changes by hundreds of degrees over the course of a lunar day.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The game, attended by President Donald Trump, took place amid a weekslong ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, pausing the war in Gaza that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
TIME,
10 Feb. 2025
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But the Trump administration has now paused that program and is targeting multiple pathways for legal immigration, leaving those who came here legally in limbo or vulnerable to deportation.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
The Mercury News,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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City government is closest to the needs of residents’ everyday lives – snow plowing, garbage pickup, street lights, road repair, public safety, sensible economic development for low property taxes.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2025
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The field has no streets to plow or sweep, no sewers to clean, and no people for police/fire to respond too.—
Matt Lehman,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey was among those saying the group had not violated any laws.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Investigators subsequently tracked down and arrested Nathan on a charge of violating an injunction barring contact with the child and her mother.—
David J. Neal and,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The employees who move up the fastest are the ones who think critically, solve problems, and drive the business forward.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes,
11 Feb. 2025
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The bodies have been recovered and identified and authorities on Sunday remained determined to solve the mystery of what caused a small plane to lose speed and altitude over Alaska moments before a horrific crash that killed all 10 people aboard.—
John Bacon,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near break
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 24 Feb. 2025.
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