breakaway

noun break·away \ ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā \

Definition of breakaway

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

Recent Examples of breakaway from the Web

Louisville City had a bittersweet chance nine minutes before halftime when Spencer, on a breakaway, was taken down by Sem de Wit 5 yards outside the penalty area.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville City FC routs FC Cincinnati in front of sellout crowd at Louisville Slugger Field," 12 Aug. 2017
While at Utah in 2014, a breakaway 78-yard touchdown by Clay could have put the Utes up 14-0 over powerhouse Oregon.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Underdog Kaelin Clay on the play that made him viral, and the redemption tour," 10 Aug. 2017
Upon the creation of the new chain, the breakaway faction chose to award Bitcoin Cash on a one-for-one ratio to every owner of bitcoin.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "Bitcoin Cash Soars to $700, Coinbase Customers Threaten to Sue," 2 Aug. 2017
Cyrus Saydee had a breakaway but was fouled 10 yards from the goal.

— brandon folsom, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit City FC rolls past Dakota Fusion, 5-1, in NSPL playoff match," 22 July 2017
From dropping back and offering their leader a slipstream to catching and reeling in breakaway riders, none of their physical exertions are for personal gain.

— matias grez, CNN, "Tour de France: 'Domestiques' prove there is no I in team," 19 July 2017
The British colonists were an island people; their native country had a breakaway, national church that was fully at home neither with the Catholics nor the Protestant denominations on the European mainland.

— nicholas m. gallagher, National Review, "America Needs to Reconcile Its Id and Superego," 11 July 2017
Goal No. 7 and 8 (September 20, 2014 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps): Adi scored in the 66th and 69th minute, netting a goal on a 1v1 with the goalkeeper and scoring on a breakaway as the Timbers won 3-0.

— OregonLive.com, "Relive every one of Fanendo Adi's 50 goals for the Portland Timbers: Video, photos," 29 June 2017
Meara was equally big in the 18th minute, stopping a breakaway by Picault.

— marc narducci, Philly.com, "Union fall on penalty kicks in U.S. Open Cup," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breakaway.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of breakaway

1881

breakaway

adjective

Definition of breakaway

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

See breakaway defined for English-language learners

Examples of breakaway in a Sentence

A breakaway faction formed a new party.

Recent Examples of breakaway from the Web

A few moments later, Saydee followed that up with a breakaway attempt down the far sideline that went over the crossbar.

— brandon folsom, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit City FC's season ends on PK's in semifinal loss to Midland-Odessa FC," 6 Aug. 2017
Coinbase's headaches are tied to a breakaway faction of bitcoin miners, who are responsible both for generating new coins and for the software called blockchain that is used to record transactions.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "Coinbase Faces Backlash, Legal Risk Over Bitcoin Cash," 31 July 2017
In the meantime, there is a life in urgent need of saving at an emergency health center in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a self-governing breakaway region of Somalia in the Horn of Africa.

— ryan lenora brown, The Christian Science Monitor, "Can famine be checked as Africa faces its worst crisis since the 1980s?," 30 July 2017
The crowd of 66,014 witnessed the brilliant magic of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and the breakaway speed of Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio — inserted into the starting lineup in the absence of star Cristiano Ronaldo.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Messi scores, Neymar adds two assists as Barcelona wins El Clasico Miami, 3-2," 29 July 2017
An injury sidelined Rose in the spring game, but he also is supposed to possess breakaway speed and could pass King for the No. 2 job.

— jon hale and fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "UK Mailbag: Possible basketball lineups, recruiting updates, running back concerns and more," 29 June 2017
Cats should be wearing a stretch or safety breakaway collar and an I.D. tag.

— carolina gusman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "5 things to do for a family-friendly Fourth in San Diego," 28 June 2017
Hours after the attack, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility.

— riaz khan and abdul sattar, chicagotribune.com, "Officials: 35 killed in 3 bomb attacks in 2 Pakistani cities," 23 June 2017
The 6-foot-3 guard scooped up the ball near halfcourt and finished the sequence with a breakaway dunk.

— lamond pope, Lake County News-Sun, "Guard Branden Ellis jumps at the opportunity to lead at Warren," 21 June 2017

First Known Use of breakaway

1927

break away

verb

Definition of break away

intransitive verb

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

First Known Use of break away

1535

BREAKAWAY Defined for English Language Learners

breakaway

adjective

Definition of breakaway for English Language Learners

: having become separate from a larger group, country, etc. : having broken away

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Recent Examples of breakaway from the Web

First Known Use of breakaway

breakaway

Definition of breakaway

Examples of breakaway in a Sentence

Recent Examples of breakaway from the Web

First Known Use of breakaway

break away

Definition of break away

First Known Use of break away

BREAKAWAY Defined for English Language Learners

breakaway

Definition of breakaway for English Language Learners

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