breather

noun

breath·er | \ ˈbrē-t͟hər

Definition of breather

1 : one that breathes

2 : a break in activity for rest or relief

3 : a small vent in an otherwise airtight enclosure

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about breather

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Examples of breather in a Sentence

He decided to give them a breather. took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic

Recent Examples on the Web

The casual eateries offer welcome and satisfying breathers. — Gerry Frank, oregonlive, "Head to Mount Hood any time of year: Gerry Frank’s picks," 15 Sep. 2019 Following a breather against Lamar of the Southland Conference on Sept. 14, A&M hosts No. — Brent Zwerneman, ExpressNews.com, "Texas A&M offensive lineman: ‘There will be an upset’ at No. 1 Clemson," 2 Sep. 2019 For those who want to stay away from the curds-cows-cookies contingent (or maybe just need to give your cholesterol count a breather), here are 8 things to check out this weekend that are No Fair. 1. — Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, "No Fair! 8 ideas if you’d rather not go to the Great Minnesota Get-Together," 22 Aug. 2019 Hey Iowa voters and reporters, take a breather this weekend. — cleveland.com, "The gun debate is all over the place in the Midwest: The Flyover," 22 Aug. 2019 Plenty of other celebs — like Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande — have previously spoken out about the importance of taking breathers in between huge projects or public appearances. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "BTS Is Taking an "Extended Period of Rest and Relaxation"," 11 Aug. 2019 With the 0-3 Bears facing the mighty Baltimore Colts on Oct. 16, 1955 at Wrigley Field, coach George Halas sent in the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Casares to give starting fullback Chick Jagade a breather in the second quarter. — Will Larkin, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 36, Rick Casares," 31 July 2019 Veronica’s interactions with her father, friends, and frenemies provide a breather for her and the audience in between multiple suspects that sometimes become red herrings and, worse, deaths. — Ariana Brockington, refinery29.com, "Real Talk: Did That Tragic Veronica Mars Twist Really Need To Happen?," 25 July 2019 In addition, the compact disc stabilized slightly with a rate of decline halved (down 11.7 %)compared to the same period last year, while vinyl continued to grow after a short breather (+7.4 % compared to the same period last year). — Wolfgang Spahr, Billboard, "Germany's Music Industry Sees Highest Growth Rate Since Early 1990s," 11 July 2019

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