1
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to end
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
Negotiations, which started in October, broke off when the union’s contracts with King Soopers expired.
—
Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2025
The three singers eventually broke off to pursue solo projects, but managed to stay close in ways that have escaped many other groups like them.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
From that formation, individual clouds break off in a clump.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025
These fibers also break off in the wash, entering water systems.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2025
The three singers eventually broke off to pursue solo projects, but managed to stay close in ways that have escaped many other groups like them.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
From that formation, individual clouds break off in a clump.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025
These fibers also break off in the wash, entering water systems.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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The park also provides convenient shuttle buses to transport guests throughout the park, which stop just outside the lodge.—
Sophie Mendel,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Mar. 2025
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Telling a 22-year-old to stop posting online altogether probably won’t get you far, but encouraging them to limit who can see their information is a reasonable compromise.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The group holds two main cards for credibility among Palestinians: forcing Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, and being the only Palestinian faction able to end the war.—
TIME,
TIME,
23 Mar. 2025
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Trump and his top officials have framed the potential partial ceasefire as a springboard for a broader peace deal to end Russia's war on its neighbor.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Disney investors on Thursday voted down a proposal that the entertainment giant cease its participation in a prominent LGBTQ rights organization’s equality ratings program.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2025
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However, this does not mean that nuclear waste storage has ceased to be an issue.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Yuichi Yamazaki | Afp | Getty Images Garden said that a growing audience is changing the way the league is thinking about its next media rights contract, with both its international and domestic deals expiring after the 2028 season.—
Ian Thomas,
CNBC,
22 Mar. 2025
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Platt’s contract, which pays him $308,000 a year, does not expire until August 2027.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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During a recent visit to Beijing, Trump ally and US Senator Steve Daines told Bloomberg News that China must halt the flow of fentanyl ingredients into the US before any trade negotiations could begin.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2025
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President Donald Trump has worked to advance his agenda at lightning speed, but courts have halted those efforts after an avalanche of challenges to his actions.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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During her time on the long-running ABC drama, which concluded after 12 seasons in 2005, Delaney won an Emmy in 1997 for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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In its most recent meeting, which concluded on March 19, Fed officials acknowledged growing economic uncertainty, prompting them to raise their inflation forecast while lowering their growth outlook.—
Garth Friesen,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
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But just three months later, Zhang suddenly quit the cloud unit.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2025
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If approved, the bill would get rid of the restriction on striking workers from receiving SNAP and also protect public sector workers who are fired from being considered to have voluntarily quit.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Most recently, Ukrainian air force Sukhoi Su-27 fighters have been hurling the bombs at bridges in Belgorod Oblast in western Russia, aiming to cut off Russian troops in the oblast’s border region, where Ukrainian brigades have launched small-scale incursions.—
David Axe,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Bricker was born without legs due to a uterine band cutting off the blood supply to her lower limbs in utero.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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