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
Lopez and Affleck, one of the quintessential pop culture couples of the early 2000s, famously rekindled their romance in 2021 and wed the following year, two decades after breaking off their first engagement in late 2002.
—
Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
About 10 minutes later, one or two members of the group broke off to spray-paint vehicles and the guard booth.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Already one had broken off and, sadly the second one came from the top.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On third down, Devin Williams broke off a 49-yard run to give the Wolverines the ball in El Toro territory.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
About 10 minutes later, one or two members of the group broke off to spray-paint vehicles and the guard booth.
—Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
Already one had broken off and, sadly the second one came from the top.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On third down, Devin Williams broke off a 49-yard run to give the Wolverines the ball in El Toro territory.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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But her six-figure salary didn’t stop her from using the Foundation as her personal piggy bank, records show.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
12 Oct. 2025
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Witkoff, Rubio, and Kushner then streamlined the proposal to a two-phase structure—first, a ceasefire and exchange of hostages and prisoners to stop the fighting; second, a framework for Gaza's future, including disarmament and a technocratic transitional government.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Get skillets, Dutch ovens, cake pans, and more before the sale ends.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
9 Oct. 2025
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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
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Eventually, the extended family gatherings ceased altogether.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
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Eventually, though, the wins and losses cease to matter.—
Paul Solotaroff,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Auston Matthews is one of the few with a four-year contract (which expires in 2028).—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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Trump noncommittal about Obamacare subsidies Trump would not commit on Wednesday to supporting an extension of subsidies in the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire at the end of the year.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The closure has halted routine government operations, shuttered Smithsonian museums and other landmark cultural institutions and left airports scrambling with flight disruptions, all injecting more uncertainty into an already precarious economy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
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This condition is primarily caused by genetic defects that severely disrupt or halt the complex process of sperm production, known as spermatogenesis.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Its intervention came days before a United Nations commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
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Pettit’s latest space mission, a 220-day jaunt, concluded on his 70th birthday on April 20, when the Russian Soyuz spacecraft that carried him and his two crewmates touched down in the steppe of Kazakhstan.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Staff at The Free Press are eager to start working with CBS News; reporter Olivia Reingold appeared on CBS News Friday morning to discuss her report that anonymous NYPD officers had been threatening to quit the force if Zohran Mamdani is elected New York City mayor.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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Apparently, many workers crash out and quit on the third Wednesday at the job.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The huge import taxes would come on top of the 44% tariff rate already in place on China, effectively cutting off trade between the world’s two largest economies, according to Wolfe Research.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
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During the first internet suspension, one father described to NPR how his daughters were quiet, pale and withdrawn after the internet was cut off.—
NPR,
NPR,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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