as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breather
Health checkup: The recent health-care rally is taking a bit of a breather.
—
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
For those who socialize plenty but still feel alone—well, some of them might benefit from more solitude, to take a breather and reflect on who and what gives them real fulfillment.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
Without Zubac and Leonard and little production from Kris Dunn, Lue was forced to go to the bench to give the starters a breather.
—Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
When Newcastle needed a breather, Murphy was known to go down with a judicious injury.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for breather 
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 28 Jan. 2025
For those who socialize plenty but still feel alone—well, some of them might benefit from more solitude, to take a breather and reflect on who and what gives them real fulfillment.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
Without Zubac and Leonard and little production from Kris Dunn, Lue was forced to go to the bench to give the starters a breather.
—Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 21 Jan. 2025
When Newcastle needed a breather, Murphy was known to go down with a judicious injury.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for breather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breather
Noun
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On Friday, a judge prevented the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, on administrative leave, after a pause on all new U.S. foreign assistance programs funded by the State Department and USAID the week prior.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2025
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Not done yet Martin Truex Jr. has put his retirement on pause for another shot at the Daytona 500.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The degree of care that went into the documentary aspects of the six hours matched the flawless way in which 27 acts proceeded one another on stage with nary a lull or snafu in sight.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
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That lull in performance coincided with Pickens’ injury absence and an emphasis from opponents on eliminating the deep ball.—
Mike DeFabo,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Before the Swedes had caught their breath, Canada’s bananas top power-play unit had snapped the puck around until MacKinnon drained a Sidney Crosby cross-crease dish.—
Arpon Basu,
The Athletic,
15 Feb. 2025
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As one of the country’s top five most biodiverse states, Alabama’s great outdoors offer not only a breath of fresh air and beautiful views aplenty, but also a chance to get acquainted with a huge range of biomes and species.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Review:Kendrick Lamar's fierce Super Bowl halftime show elevates Drake feud, makes history Need a break?—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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Marc credits the realization of his vision to the help of local craftspeople, many of whom worked for him during their winter break from Glimmerglass.—
David Foxley,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Breather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breather. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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