break the mold

phrase

1

: to do something in a completely new way

Voters are looking for a candidate who will break the mold and give them honest answers.

2

informal

—used to describe a very unusual or admired person

He was the greatest man I ever knew. They broke the mold when they made that guy.

Examples of break the mold in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Will one blue state governor’s decision to embrace the tax credits, and prioritize students, break the mold? — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026

Megan eventually ended things with Mike, a real estate investor whose success in his career more closely mirrored her own, and decided to break the mold by choosing Jordan. — Sam Reed, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025

Curry continues to break the mold of how an aging, more undersized guard is supposed to perform in the latter half of their prime. — Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025

Having grown up around cats, Lauren Lagasse was so excited to break the mold and get her own puppy, a mini long-haired dachshund named Callie Ren. — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025

Despite being an old soul who loves talking about the gold ol’ days of cult cinema, Briggs says that some of his favorite episodes break the mold and play with format. — William Earl, Variety, 27 Aug. 2025

Japan is long overdue for an electric supercar, so perhaps this Sport Concept could break the mold. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Some are different – evolutionary oddities that break the mold. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025

Her goal is to empower ambitious people to break the mold, be better leaders, build influence, and reach their full potential. — Jenny Wood, CNBC, 16 June 2025

Rhymes for break the mold

• copyhold
• decontrolled
• hundredfold
• manifold
• marigold
• oversold
• petioled
• sevenfold
• stranglehold
• subthreshold
• thousandfold
• uncontrolled