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
Idaho Statesman,
3 July 2026
The Vatican said on July 2 that priests and lay Catholics who are part of a breakaway right-wing Catholic group that ordained bishops without Pope Leo's approval were in schism with the wider Church and now excommunicated.
—
Joshua McElwee,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
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
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
30 June 2026
With his last film exploring Goodbye Julia exploring the events of 2011 when South Sudan broke away from the north, his new drama is set in Sudan in 1983 as Sharia Law takes hold.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
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Noun
Denys Kostyshyn sprung Moshobane for a wide-open breakaway in the 83rd minute.
—
Idaho Statesman,
3 July 2026
The Vatican said on July 2 that priests and lay Catholics who are part of a breakaway right-wing Catholic group that ordained bishops without Pope Leo's approval were in schism with the wider Church and now excommunicated.
—
Joshua McElwee,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
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
Finally some excitement came the 20-minute mark as Mbappé broke away for what looked to be the first goal of the game.
—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
30 June 2026
With his last film exploring Goodbye Julia exploring the events of 2011 when South Sudan broke away from the north, his new drama is set in Sudan in 1983 as Sharia Law takes hold.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
Cite this Entry
“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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