Synonyms of break
-
as in to disrupt
-
as in to stop
-
as in to reduce
-
as in to decipher
-
as in to pause
-
as in to plow
-
as in to violate
-
as in to solve
-
as in to damage
-
as in to die
-
as in to retreat
-
as in to wear
-
as in to circulate
-
as in to ruin
-
as in to begin
-
as in to veer
-
as in to depress
-
as in to exceed
-
as in to surface
-
as in pause
-
as in vacation
-
as in gap
-
as in opportunity
-
as in accident
-
as in escape
-
Example Sentences
-
Phrases Containing
-
Entries Near
-
Related Articles
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
15
as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
17
as in to depress
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
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
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Some studies suggest people may seek out social media to dissociate—mindlessly scrolling purely to give their brain a break.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Gastineau accused Favre of taking a dive during a game in 2001 so that New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan could sack him and break Gastineau’s single-season record.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
The suit, still pending, alleges the company forced 2,000 workers to labor under conditions reminiscent of the 1950s, including 13-hour workdays without a break, no toilets in the fields and no water.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Some studies suggest people may seek out social media to dissociate—mindlessly scrolling purely to give their brain a break.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
-
Almanac installed the unit without building a new facility or disrupting production.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
With the conflict having disrupted much of the world's oil supplies, markets remain highly sensitive to any headline suggesting either escalation or diplomacy.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her 15-year-old son can be heard in the background pleading with his mom and the officer to stop.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Mason McTavish and Troy Terry also scored for the Ducks, while John Carlson had three assists and Lukas Dostal stopped 27 shots.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Gold has been one of the better-performing assets over the past year, and when markets get choppy, leveraged funds and institutional investors tend to reduce exposure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Before diners are even seated, a quirky focal point is bound to elicit oohs and aahs, and many, many wandering eyes trying to decipher the meaning.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Protect your finances by pausing to run the numbers prior to any transaction today.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The project will pause from June 8 through July 19 to avoid disruptions during the FIFA World Cup, then resume July 20 and is expected to finish by July 31.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Denver has plowed money into its offensive and defensive lines and extended 10 players over the past 18 months, but perhaps no group has received more extensive and consistent investment than the receivers.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Aside from billionaire hedge fund founder and environmental activist Tom Steyer, who registered at 10% support after plowing tens of millions of dollars into his campaign, no other Democrat had won support from more than 5% of likely voters, the poll showed.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Uthmeier said the Rooney Rule violates Florida law.—
Mac Engel
March 30,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Killing a civilian scientist would violate international law.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The case was solved years later through DNA evidence, along with the exhumation of the family dog, which prosecutors said Kovacich had kicked and beaten to death.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The cold case mystery was the first New York City murder solved using familial DNA, an innovative scientific technique that linked Martinez, 54, through DNA in his father’s criminal database.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
