break 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈbrāk How to pronounce break (audio)
Definition of breaknext
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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Relevance

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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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6
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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7
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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14
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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15
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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19
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 4

noun (1)

1
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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4
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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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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6
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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breaks

3 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of break
1
as in disrupts
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the final vote broke the deadlock

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reduces
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deciphers
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in pauses
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in plows
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

Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in violates
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 solves
to find an answer for through reasoning Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of I broke a tooth on the hard candy

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10
as in dies
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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11
as in retreats
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 wears
to use up all the physical energy of the trek up the mountain just about broke me

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13
as in circulates
to become known as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

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14
as in bankrupts
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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15
as in begins
to come into existence the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

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16
as in veers
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 lowers
to diminish the price or value of distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

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18
as in exceeds
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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19
as in surfaces
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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breaks

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural of break
1
as in lulls
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 vacations
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 gaps
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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4
as in opportunities
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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5
as in accidents
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in escapes
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a desperate break from that hellhole

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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
Verb
Aaron Judge’s bat broke on a grounder to third base in the third inning. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025 Didion broke barriers, refusing to feel remorse over valuing her career above all else and forging a language that can only be described as Didionesque. —Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
Instead, Carti enjoys a smoke break while sipping and flexing some cash. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025 With things about to get bloody, June pulls the locomotive's emergency break, bringing it to a screeching halt. —EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for break

Phrases Containing break

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breadths
break
breakable
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Cite this Entry

“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on break

Nglish: Translation of break for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about break

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