breakaway

1 of 3

noun

break·​away ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā 

1

a

: one that breaks away

b

: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)

2

a

: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal

b

: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race

3

: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact

breakaway

2 of 3

adjective

1

: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding

a breakaway faction formed a new party

2

: made to break, shatter, or bend easily

breakaway road signs for highway safety

3

a

: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway

a breakaway goal

b

: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway

breakaway speed

break away

3 of 3

verb

broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away

intransitive verb

1

: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away

2

: to depart from former or accustomed ways

3

: to pull away with a burst of speed

Examples of breakaway in a Sentence

Adjective

A breakaway faction formed a new party.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Rangers open scoring with short-handed goal Chris Kreider opened scoring for the Rangers 2:03 into the second period with a shorthanded goal on a breakaway during a Panthers power play. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024

Golden Goose’s breakaway success is in stark contrast with the persistent lag of luxury goods. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 May 2024

Adjective

In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024

Meanwhile, Russia has signed a deal to house a permanent naval base in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, also on the Black Sea, its leader told local media Thursday. —Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023

Verb

In Rakhine State, an impoverished strip of land in the west of the country previously known as Arakan, many ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have long sought to break away from Myanmar and its Bamar majority. —Verena Hölzl, New York Times, 3 June 2024

Not every spotlight was meant to be shared, and maybe out of artistic necessity (or band friction or simply a desire to cash more checks), some artists must break away from their day gigs and have a solo turn in front of the mic. —Evan Sawdey, EW.com, 30 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1