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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
The Golden Eagles did so in explosive fashion, as junior standout Isaiah Rogers found a seam and broke off an impressive 57-yard touchdown rush to slice the deficit to 10-6 late in the opening frame.
—
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The bottom line of her eyeliner broke off from her waterline to touch her nasal bone.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The best brushes feature durable, sturdy bristles that won’t break off easily.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Then break off the ends that hang out.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
The bottom line of her eyeliner broke off from her waterline to touch her nasal bone.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The best brushes feature durable, sturdy bristles that won’t break off easily.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Then break off the ends that hang out.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
-
The trend shows no signs of stopping.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
To help stop the spread, wash your hands, avoid sick areas, and report symptoms quickly.—
Jenna Anderson,
Health,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Get skillets, Dutch ovens, cake pans, and more before the sale ends.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
9 Oct. 2025
-
All federal employees who are not paid during the shutdown, whether they were furloughed or remained working, are entitled by law to back pay once the shutdown ends.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The humble soybean has become a flashpoint in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies after Beijing ceased all purchases from the US.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Guests who fail to comply will be asked to cease smoking.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
They’re set to expire in December, and while Congress could act to extend them, a prolonged government shutdown threatens to delay or derail that effort, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing coverage.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
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Subban won the Norris Trophy that season, and, once that bridge deal expired, had an arbitration hearing.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The funding pause leaves many new homeowners in high-flood risk areas scrambling for protection and could halt the processing of current damage claims.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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Before referrals were halted, the effort that placed people at the Civic had already moved hard-to-reach homeless people from the street to a shelter space and, in many cases, then on to long-term housing and stability.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship facing a norovirus outbreak while at sea docked at PortMiami early Thursday morning, concluding a 13-night voyage.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The process concludes with compression and storage.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even down 14-0, the Jaguars never quit.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Russell—toying with the idea of quitting acting for good—jumped coasts.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Tesla and an SUV were traveling westbound on Northwest 163rd Street when the SUV allegedly cut off the Tesla, prompting the Tesla to crash into a utility pole and burst into flames, a North Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson said.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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That would cut off access to the narrow gaps between train cars where subway surfers use handholds to hoist themselves onto the roof.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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