brake
6 of 6archaic past tense of break
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Break and Brake: Remembering Which Is Which
It can be hard to apply these words correctly: they sound exactly the same, and their spellings aren't easily connected to their meanings. One of the pair, however, is quite limited in scope, and focusing on when to apply that one can be key.
When the subject is slowing or stopping movement, the word to use is brake. Brake is both a noun, as in "put on the brakes" and "took my foot off the brake," and a verb, as in "brake at the stop sign" and "I brake for moose." As a noun, it's also used before other nouns: "brake fluid," "brake pedal." As in these examples, the word is used in contexts relating to cars, bicycles, and other vehicles. It's also used figuratively, however, to talk about the slowing or stopping of activity, as in "putting the brakes on spending."
Break also functions as both a noun and a verb, and it's the word you want in all other contexts, such as when the topic is something separating into parts or pieces ("the plate will break if it falls," "break a leg," "a bad break"), being damaged to the point of no longer working ("break a watch"), failing to do what is promised ("break a promise"), or referring to a time during which activity stops ("take a break").
If you have difficulty keeping these straight and are inclined to think in pictures, you might want to imagine a foot nestled in the top of the k in brake, pressing that top line down onto the e, which isn't saying a thing, because the k has put the brakes on.
Synonyms
Examples of brake in a Sentence
Rebekah Riess, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Suddenly, a Mercedes-Benz SUV stopped in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
In 2013, the brakes failed on a train parked in the hills above the Canadian town of Lac-Megantic.
—Josh Funk, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
Both companies said that besides adding a new fuse, dealers will fix any brake fluid leaks that might be found during inspections.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
And while this European legislation has put the brakes on sales in the European Union, the rules do not affect sales in the United States.
—Michael Harley, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Germany has become a rare punching back for the rest of Europe, as crippling production levels, falling exports, and waning consumer confidence put the brakes on the continent’s largest economy.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024
Bentley, like the rest of the auto industry, is tapping the brakes on its plans for EVs despite this strong performance.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2024
Table saw safety comes at a price Exactly how much the safety brake would add to the price of a saw is unclear.
—Chris Arnold, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
The Waymo vehicle braked but made contact with the gate, scratching the right side of the vehicle, the company said.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Kentucky State Police spokesperson Capt. Paul Blanton said that when driving in winter weather, drivers should do one action at a time, which includes braking, turning or accelerating.
Live updates: High Wind Warning issued for Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green for Friday
Will school be out?
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 12 Jan. 2024
Students are able to progress from Dodge Chargers and Challengers to Dodge Vipers, and, eventually, open-wheel Ligier Formula 4 race cars—all while learning how to brake harder, set the front tires before turning, and exit from the apex to reach full throttle as quickly as possible.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
This required the crew to manually brake by applying pressure to the pedals while deploying the aircraft’s thrust reversers — an additional way to decelerate a flight while landing — according to the investigation.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Mar. 2024
The robotaxi braked but was hit by the gate, resulting in some minor scratches.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
Vehicles are measured on six levels of autonomy with zero representing cars with no autonomous features whatsoever and five marking futuristic self-driving vehicles of the future with no need for steering wheels or braking pedals.
—Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024
Authorities say the accident happened after the 16-year-old driver of a Dodge Durango fell asleep at the wheel, veering his vehicle into the right shoulder of northbound I-75 and into the back of the trooper's patrol car without braking.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 11 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun (1) and Verb
perhaps from obsolete brake bridle
Noun (2)
Middle English, fern, probably back-formation from braken bracken
Noun (3)
Middle English, from Middle Low German; akin to Old English brecan to break
Noun (4)
Middle English -brake
Noun (1)
circa 1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1868, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun (3)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (4)
1562, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing brake
Articles Related to brake
Dictionary Entries Near brake
Cite this Entry
“Brake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brake. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
brake
1 of 4 nounbrake
2 of 4 nounbrake
3 of 4 verbbrake
4 of 4 noun
More from Merriam-Webster on brake
Nglish: Translation of brake for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of brake for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brake
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