break 1 of 2

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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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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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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 plow
to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows

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as in to die
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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as in to ruin
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts another bad investment could break him

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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 to surface
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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break

2 of 2

noun

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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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as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place in classic fashion, her big break came when, as an understudy, she took over for an ailing star

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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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Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of break
Verb
Kardashian most recently made headlines after attending the opening of SKIMS on 5th Avenue in New York City on Thursday, December 12 on a scooter after breaking her foot. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024 With bitcoin recently breaking above $100,000 for the first time, investors are right to question the sustainability of the current uptrend. David Keller, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
In 2024-25, up to the November international break (13 matches), that had dropped to 6.0, 33 per cent down season on season. Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024 Detroit Tigers The Tigers, who were 47-50 and 6½ games out of a playoff spot at the All-Star break, made the American League Championship series this past season, going on a 31-11 run from Aug. 11 through Sept. 27. Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 17 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for break 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
  • Sensory processing issues affect 1 in 20 people, including typically developing children, while audiovisual overstimulation can disrupt learning for all users, not just those with sensory sensitivities.
    Hashim Hayat, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Hot water strips the skin of its naturally hydrating oils and may also disrupt the skin barrier, a mix of cells and fats that form a protective outer layer on the skin.
    Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • An elevator stops on all four floors, and as designed, there will be three and potentially four bedrooms and a total of four bathrooms, plus a powder room just inside the front door.
    Mark David, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Some Broad Ripple Starbucks lovers woke up to a surprise Thursday morning while stopping to grab a cup of Joe.
    Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Surgery can benefit from real-time AI explanations and XR visualizations to reduce patient anxiety, while oncology can simplify complex treatment plans for better decision making.
    Alon Zuckerman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Light pollution significantly reduces visibility of meteors.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The group can’t decipher any helpful clues from that cryptic text, but all have thoughts on the importance of the upcoming contest.
    EW.com, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • To decipher her code, translate the picture (or pictures) on each card into two words, then anagram the letters to spell out one of the dishes depicted on the right.
    Suerynn Lee, The New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Then, in January, the Biden administration paused permitting for new exports and started analyzing the economic, national-security, and climate impacts of expanding natural-gas exports.
    Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
  • And analysts say policymakers are likely to pause at their next rate-setting meeting in January.
    Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • To plow through up to 32 inches of water in Extract mode by increasing ground clearance to 16 inches.
    Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
  • In New York, crews plowed roads and shoveled nearly 2 feet of snow off the field at Highmark Stadium ahead of Sunday's matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers.
    Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The lawsuit alleges the restaurant violated the Texas Dram Shop Act by failing to uphold its staff to safely sell alcoholic beverages.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Faced with community complaints, Mayor Karen Bass retools her affordable housing strategy July 6, 2024 This summer, low-income housing advocates sued the city alleging that Feldstein Soto and Park, with the tacit support of Bass, violated fair housing laws by slow-walking the project.
    Liam Dillon, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Fiber optic solves that problem as well as negating jamming.
    David Hambling, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • In 2005, the sheriff’s office renewed efforts to solve the crime by uploading the DNA sample to the FBI’s national genetic database, CODIS.
    Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near break

Cite this Entry

“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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