break off

verb

broke off; broken off; breaking off; breaks off

intransitive verb

1
: to stop abruptly
break off in the middle of a sentence
2
: to become detached
branches that broke off in the storm
3
: to end a relationship
broke off with his business partner

transitive verb

1
: discontinue
break off diplomatic relations
2
: to remove by or as if by breaking
broke off a chunk of bread

Examples of break off in a Sentence

the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Recent Examples on the Web After questioning his maturity for most of their time together, Hannah Jiles broke off her tumultuous relationship with Nick Dorka weeks before walking down the aisle. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 An Italian woman surfing an island break off the west coast of Sumatra died in a freak accident when a swordfish impaled her, according to reports. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024 But the Cubs broke off to form the Marquee Sports Network in 2020, and regional sports networks, long the cash cow of pay TV, have struggled financially in recent years as cord-cutting takes its toll on the cable bundle. Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2024 The jet stream usually pens the polar vortex in and keeps it there, but at times, some of the vortex can break off or move south, bringing extremely cold weather down into the U.S., Europe and Asia. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for break off 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of break off was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near break off

Cite this Entry

“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20off. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

break off

verb
: to stop suddenly

More from Merriam-Webster on break off

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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