break·away
ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā 
1
a
: one that breaks away
b
: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)
2
a
: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b
: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3
: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact
1
: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2
: made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3
a
: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b
: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed
broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away
1
: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away
2
: to depart from former or accustomed ways
3
: to pull away with a burst of speed
Examples of breakaway in a Sentence
Adjective
A breakaway faction formed a new party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway part of China, to be eventually united with it under central control, but Taipei, which has a democratic government, has long asserted its independence and aligned itself with Western allies.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Yevgeny Kuklychev
ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Bill Waid, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Related Stories This deeply personal story delves into the complex journey of breaking away from traditional gender roles passed down through generations.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
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Noun
Then, Temwa Chawinga was seemingly taken down by a tackle from Kaleigh Kurtz on a breakaway to earn a penalty kick.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2025
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway part of China, to be eventually united with it under central control, but Taipei, which has a democratic government, has long asserted its independence and aligned itself with Western allies.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Moscow has moved many of its vessels toward its Novorossiysk base, and satellite imagery indicates Russia is establishing another Black Sea base in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia.
—Yevgeny Kuklychev
ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Verb
This involves breaking away from the traditional bi-modal view of data, where systems separate data ingestion and data access.
—Bill Waid, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Related Stories This deeply personal story delves into the complex journey of breaking away from traditional gender roles passed down through generations.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
Cite this Entry
“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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