Synonyms of break
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as in to disrupt 
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as in to stop
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as in to reduce
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as in to decipher
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as in to pause
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as in to plow
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as in to violate
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as in to solve
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as in to damage
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as in to die
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as in to retreat
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as in to wear
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as in to circulate
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as in to ruin
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as in to begin
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as in to veer
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as in to depress
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as in to exceed
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as in to surface
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as in pause
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as in vacation
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as in gap
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as in opportunity
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as in accident
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as in escape
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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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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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
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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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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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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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
Will Porter, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
But an injury put an end to that impressive string of games, as Jovic broke his right hand on Feb. 23 and missed the final 27 games of last regular season.
—Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 June 2025
The Senate version of the legislation, the centerpiece of Trump’s economic agenda, makes permanent individual and business tax breaks enacted in 2017, while adding temporary new breaks for tipped and overtime workers, seniors and car-buyers.
—Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Fortune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Will Porter has spent the past few years breaking back into tennis by taking lessons and playing matches with friends.
—Will Porter, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
But an injury put an end to that impressive string of games, as Jovic broke his right hand on Feb. 23 and missed the final 27 games of last regular season.
—Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Noun
Anyone hankering for a Beaver Nugget break on their travels can swing by the new spot, which is located right off I-81 in Rockingham County.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 June 2025
The Senate version of the legislation, the centerpiece of Trump’s economic agenda, makes permanent individual and business tax breaks enacted in 2017, while adding temporary new breaks for tipped and overtime workers, seniors and car-buyers.
—Rachel Cohrs Zhang, Fortune, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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The industry’s year of strikes in 2023 also disrupted the flow of Hollywood movie releases to the local multiplex.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 July 2025
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Frequent use can disrupt normal bowel function and lead to laxative dependence or chronic constipation.7 Only use castor oil under medical guidance.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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The black box stopped recording a few seconds later.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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This, together with a higher standard deduction, reduced the number of taxpayers who itemize deductions.—
Martin Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Do not follow large vehicles closely - Large vehicles like trucks or buses can create a spray of water that can reduce your visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT
Updated July 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 July 2025
Verb
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With these additional texts, the team was able to completely decipher this ancient hymn of praise.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
2 July 2025
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People were quick to decipher the message — and went bananas, as expected.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
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If booking rates drop, campaigns get paused instantly.—
Michael Fox,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Chinese consumers may have paused luxury spending, but the country remains firmly in the sights of industry leader Louis Vuitton.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The voice on the other end asked if the lot was plowed.—
Matthew Glowicki,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
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Indianapolis used to pay private contractors to plow side streets after snowfalls of six inches but even that didn’t guarantee every street would get scraped.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Last year, the Department of Justice sued Legends for violating federal waiting period requirements related to its acquisition of ASM Global, which was the former operator of Pechanga Arena San Diego.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
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Unintentional bias or disproportionate outcomes alone do not violate the statute.—
Alonzo Martinez,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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No matter what happens, USC’s next president will have a serious financial crisis to solve, a furious faculty to calm and a tense political climate to navigate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
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That’s the demand problem that PJM is focused on, which is not Maryland’s problem to solve.—
David S. Lapp,
Baltimore Sun,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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