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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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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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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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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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of break
Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Carbone originally reported that Vassos broke things off with Heller following the hometown dates and Chapple during the overnight dates, leaving Gansert and Ibgui as the final two suitors.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Directed and co-written by Jordan Weiss, the movie is about two best friends and college freshmen (Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga) who make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, while growing closer to each other at the same time.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break 
Verb
The right leadership style for your organization can make or break your relationship with your team and ensure that business goals are being met or not.
—Jason Miller, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Carbone originally reported that Vassos broke things off with Heller following the hometown dates and Chapple during the overnight dates, leaving Gansert and Ibgui as the final two suitors.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
Maybe not the question to ask a Canadian, but could sad smoke breaks bring America together today?
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Directed and co-written by Jordan Weiss, the movie is about two best friends and college freshmen (Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga) who make a pact to break up with their high school sweethearts over Thanksgiving break, while growing closer to each other at the same time.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Harris supporters called Trump a threat to democracy for his refusal to concede his 2020 loss to Biden, unfounded election fraud claims and his supporters’ Capitol riot to disrupt Biden’s presidential certification.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
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Trump's false claims of victory came to a head on January 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters rioted inside the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the formal confirmation of Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Donations dwindle, while volunteers from the opposite side of the country stop coming or divert to another disaster.Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024
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Musk—who sued OpenAI in March—now alleges that OpenAI is attempting to eliminate its competitors by stopping its investors from funding rival AI firms.Will McCurdy, PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Opened in 1956, Sunnyvale High School, the city’s second public high school, worked to achieve collaboration between students and educators, aiming to reduce violence and enrich the curriculum during the interracial tension that marked the 1960s and ’70s.Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Roofing contractors said good roofs with years of life left are being replaced ahead of schedule to allow insurers to reduce their risk going forward.Aldo Svaldi, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Unlike cuneiform, only about half of proto cuneiform symbols have been deciphered so far.Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
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Groups are trying to decipher what the ruling means for other proposals to connect power-hungry data centers with America's single largest source of zero-emissions 24/7 electricity.Alan Neuhauser, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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After a high-energy election week, this one offers a chance to pause and assess the market and broader macroeconomic outlook in the aftermath of the election.Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 10 Nov. 2024
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This is not just a new drink lineup, but a signal, a cultural zeitgeist, inviting customers to pause, sip, and indulge.Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But the worst of the cuts have not yet taken effect, because the city intends to plow through reserves and unused funds in the meantime.Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2024
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Behind me, a group of Italians plowed through cocktails, bemoaning their country’s political situation.Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024
Verb
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James Nagle, a former Army contracting official and practicing attorney who specializes in the federal contracting process, went even further, saying that the White House Offer potentially violated existing law.Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
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The lawsuit claims that Chipotle’s failure to disclose these issues and their financial implications misled shareholders, potentially violating securities laws.Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Apparently, Comedy Central tried to solve its issue by going to Mulaney, not once but twice.Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024
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Asked if South Carolina should expand Medicaid, Simmer said the challenges South Carolina and other states confront are worsened by health care provider shortages and structural inequities too large and complicated for Medicaid expansion alone to solve.Kff Health News, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near break
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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