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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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
Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
But alas, 2024 was a little sparser than the peak TV of recent memory, not to mention the fact that many of our favorite LGBTQ+ programs have either been unceremoniously cancelled or were on a break year.
—Samantha Allen, Them, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break 
Verb
In this historical novel, teenage siblings play different roles in Britain's concerted effort to break the Nazis' Engima code while also trying to solve the mystery of their missing mother.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
In the year 2065, a fiery teenager with a wild imagination, her paraplegic mom, and their clueless robot struggle to navigate the post-apocalypse; but when the mother’s wheelchair breaks, the trio must venture out into the dangerous outside for a chance to survive.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
But alas, 2024 was a little sparser than the peak TV of recent memory, not to mention the fact that many of our favorite LGBTQ+ programs have either been unceremoniously cancelled or were on a break year.
—Samantha Allen, Them, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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In this gentle novel, an elderly widow finds her solitary routine disrupted by a mouse, setting off a sequence of events that reconnects with the larger world.Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024
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Plans to position it as an awards-season contender were disrupted when Italy snubbed Oscar-winner Sorrentino and chose Maura Delpero’s Venice Silver Lion winner Vermiglio as its entry for best international feature.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 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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Johnny can’t stop holding onto his baggage with Kreese, but Daniel is dealing with something even bigger.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Verb
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While noting that many Arizona cities have drastically reduced their per capita water demand, Goddard argued that cities will eventually need to find water-sharing arrangements with farms so that cities can pay farmers to use their water in dry times.Austin Corona, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
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Some items that normally retail for upwards of $500 have been reduced to $99 or less.John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 21 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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The protesters pause for Friday prayers at the sit-in.John Bleasdale, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
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Gun audio stops working when the weapon wheel is opened and only resumes when the game is paused then resumed.Issy van der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 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 28 Nov. 2024.
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