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
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The draft of a letter from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to U.S. President Donald Trump offering exclusive access to air bases and seaports has reignited tensions between Somalia's government and the breakaway region of Somaliland.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2025
David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Furthermore, Moscow’s various calls for respect of the UN Charter would have been taken more seriously had Russia itself not unilaterally recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, or annexed Crimea and instigated a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2023
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025
Mantz was among the leaders until eventual winner John Korir broke away at Mile 20.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
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Noun
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped Carter Verhaeghe on a breakaway only 30 seconds into the game.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
The draft of a letter from Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to U.S. President Donald Trump offering exclusive access to air bases and seaports has reignited tensions between Somalia's government and the breakaway region of Somaliland.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 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.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Furthermore, Moscow’s various calls for respect of the UN Charter would have been taken more seriously had Russia itself not unilaterally recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, or annexed Crimea and instigated a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2023
Verb
Uso has caught fire in the world of professional wrestling since becoming a singles wrestler, breaking away from his twin brother Jimmy and moving to the Monday Night Raw brand in 2023.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025
Mantz was among the leaders until eventual winner John Korir broke away at Mile 20.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 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 4 May. 2025.
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