1
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to end
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
Don’t twist or jerk the tick, which can cause the mouth to break off in your skin.
—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
If skin contact occurs, those spines can break off in the skin, leading to a burning and stinging sensation, followed by numbness, tingling, swelling, and nausea.
—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
The fuselage came to rest across a concrete barrier, while its tail broke off and fell to a lower section of roadway.
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ABC News,
18 June 2026
That trail of vaporizing particles breaking off the asteroid causes a bright streak of light across the sky called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star.
—
Adam Lark,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break off
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
If skin contact occurs, those spines can break off in the skin, leading to a burning and stinging sensation, followed by numbness, tingling, swelling, and nausea.
—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
The fuselage came to rest across a concrete barrier, while its tail broke off and fell to a lower section of roadway.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
That trail of vaporizing particles breaking off the asteroid causes a bright streak of light across the sky called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star.
—
Adam Lark,
The Conversation,
16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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Chisholm scored on Jose Caballero's RBI groundout in the fourth inning before hitting a two-run homer in the sixth as New York ended a three-game losing streak and stopped Detroit's four-game winning streak.
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Disneyland officials said a cast member immediately stopped the ride.
Verb
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Soon after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US in January, Venezuela ended Cuba’s long-standing medical mission in the country, cutting off a key resource in underserved communities.
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Kirby gave up a one-out double to Josh Lowe in the fifth but struck out the side — including Neto — to end the inning.
Verb
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As of Monday evening, no formal announcement had been made regarding when the facility would cease operations or when the demobilization process would be completed.
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Haiti ceased making payments in 1947.
Verb
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Picking the right spots will become as important as ever, especially as more legacy contracts expire.
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The California Children’s Education and Health Care Protection Act of 2026 would indefinitely extend an existing tax on couples who make above $680,000 and individuals who make above $340,000 that’s currently set to expire in 2030.
Verb
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Park officials routinely held fireworks displays in the early 2000s, but halted them in part because of wildfire fears.
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The recent military action tested an initial agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities during 60 days of negotiations.
Verb
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The bidding process that won AllHere the contract had concluded months before the Carvalho travel to Washington.
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The series is even, 1-1, and concludes Sunday afternoon.
Verb
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In it, Pearson delivered an opening monologue about his desire to quit dancing.
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Two years into what was intended to be a seven-year apprenticeship, Walton quit and followed his siblings south.
Verb
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Mysterio tripped Page onto the second rope, but Page cut off Rey Mysterio with a big boot as Rey attempted a 619.
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Soon after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US in January, Venezuela ended Cuba’s long-standing medical mission in the country, cutting off a key resource in underserved communities.
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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