clean break
noun
: complete separation from something
When he left home, he made a clean break with the past.
Examples of clean break in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Patrick Fuchs, the 37-year-old chairman of obscure and quaintly named Surface Transportation Board, has signalled what colleagues and industry players are interpreting as an openness to consolidation, or at least a clean break from the reflexive antipathy of his predecessor to deals.
—
Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
Romeu wants a clean break from FC Barcelona To get a clean slate, Romeu prefers that his terms are terminated according to AS, which would help FC Barcelona get his salary off the books and have more room to operate in terms of Financial Fair Play.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
This tends to keep damage localized as cracks spread little by little rather than one clean break.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025
The president has stressed that his plan would remove any trace of Hamas from the area and allow a true clean break for the area.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
This is why whoever replaces Mitch in the Senate needs to represent a clean break from him—time for a change!
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
However, there’s one thing still holding Janelle back from a clean break from Kody.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Football fans love the idea of the clean break, the fresh start, and the new era that is unlike anything that has come before.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
Of course, that clean break only comes after a big check is cut for this season.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
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Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 19 June 2025
Romeu wants a clean break from FC Barcelona To get a clean slate, Romeu prefers that his terms are terminated according to AS, which would help FC Barcelona get his salary off the books and have more room to operate in terms of Financial Fair Play.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
This tends to keep damage localized as cracks spread little by little rather than one clean break.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025
The president has stressed that his plan would remove any trace of Hamas from the area and allow a true clean break for the area.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
This is why whoever replaces Mitch in the Senate needs to represent a clean break from him—time for a change!
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
However, there’s one thing still holding Janelle back from a clean break from Kody.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Football fans love the idea of the clean break, the fresh start, and the new era that is unlike anything that has come before.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
Of course, that clean break only comes after a big check is cut for this season.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20break. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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