break off

verb

broke off; broken off; breaking off; breaks off

intransitive verb

1

: to stop abruptly

break off in the middle of a sentence

2

: to become detached

branches that broke off in the storm

3

: to end a relationship

broke off with his business partner

transitive verb

1

: discontinue

break off diplomatic relations

2

: to remove by or as if by breaking

broke off a chunk of bread

Synonyms of break off

• stop
• cease
• end
• halt
• quit
• cut off
• lay off
• knock off
• shut off
• cut out

Examples of break off in a Sentence

the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch

talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities have also warned of potential further collapse around the glacier on Langtang Lirung mountain in Nepal, which cracked and broke off, triggering the August 26 landslide and flooding. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

The mysterious glade is actually likely a piece of land that broke off from the reservoir’s shoreline as a result of record-high water levels this year. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026

Daniel Shugar, a geologist at the University of Calgary in Canada, tells Rolling Stone that much more than that piece of glacier broke off the mountain. — Thor Benson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

This is the moment a piece of a glacier broke off on the Chinese side of the border. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for break off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

break off

verb

: to stop suddenly