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
Relevance
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
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 off
The right wing then scraped the ground and broke off at the fuselage, releasing a cloud of jet fuel that caught fire as the airplane overturned and moved down the runway.
—
David Schaper, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
Photos and video were also posted to social media showing pieces of the helicopter, including the rotor, appearing to break off before the body of the craft falls out of the sky into the water.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
The deep fake issue was broken off into a separate bill because lawmakers could not agree on all the aspects of a much larger, all-encompassing bill that would regulate the fast-developing world of artificial intelligence.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2025
But the Packers ranked 29th in kick returns, as teams were willing to give them those extra five yards on a touchback instead of risking Nixon breaking off a long return.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
David Schaper, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
Photos and video were also posted to social media showing pieces of the helicopter, including the rotor, appearing to break off before the body of the craft falls out of the sky into the water.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
The deep fake issue was broken off into a separate bill because lawmakers could not agree on all the aspects of a much larger, all-encompassing bill that would regulate the fast-developing world of artificial intelligence.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2025
But the Packers ranked 29th in kick returns, as teams were willing to give them those extra five yards on a touchback instead of risking Nixon breaking off a long return.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
-
The confrontation stopped and restarted as the man appeared to try to get the knife away from Perez over the fence.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
When the American money stopped flowing, the local soup kitchen closed and Ms. Musa went out searching for food.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Lawmakers can typically override a governor’s veto with another vote on the bill if the legislation receives two-thirds support from each chamber, though the Idaho Legislature ended this year’s regular legislative session early this month.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Hence, short-term rates could end the year between 3% and 4.25% as compared to 4.25% to 4.5% currently.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Department of Government Efficiency may not last much longer, but that doesn’t mean fraud and waste will cease.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Some ceased vaccination clinics, halted wastewater surveillance programs and even terminated a contract with the courier service that transports specimens to state labs to test for infectious diseases.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
All gift cards for fast-fashion retailer Forever 21, which filed for bankruptcy, are set to expire this week.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Another put option, with a strike price of $260 and expiring on March 21, 2025, could have been bought for $1.89 on January 15, when Tesla closed at $428.22, and sold for $40.80 on March 10, when Tesla traded at $222.15, yielding a return of 2,059%.—
Korok Ray,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In Afghanistan, where over 23 million people rely on aid, the cuts will end food support for millions, halt care for malnourished children, and disrupt maternal health services.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Several factors could halt the tariffs imposed by Mr. Trump, according to experts.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
China's tariff rate is now in triple digit territory, and who knows what happens in 90 days when this pause concludes.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The audience peaked with around 21.1M viewers as the nail-biting game, in which the Gators trailed for a majority of the time, was concluding.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Among the factors: ESOPs outperform non-ESOPs in job retention, pay, and workplace health safety and lower voluntary worker quit rates.—
Mary Josephs,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Despite Hill being overtly frustrated about the end of the season, quitting on a team is never the right move.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The witness told investigators that Griffin swerved to cut off Francis, court documents read, at which point Francis pulled up beside the of the green Sierra and allegedly fired four to five shots into the truck through the front window on the drivers’ side.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Italy has halted talks on a potential $1.5 billion deal for secure government communications amid outrage over threats to cut off Ukraine’s access to Starlink.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share