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
Traders should wait for the clean break on convincing volume.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
Chapter 13 is not always the clean break it's made out to be, and there are some downsides to taking this path.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The goal is to give successor Josh D’Amaro some time to settle and then a clean break to set his own path.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Within the leftist movement that propelled Johnson, cracks between the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union team that primarily bankrolled his first run look more like a clean break.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
William would prefer a swift, clean break with Andrew before things decline further.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
New paradigm — That’s a clean break from the current way of doing things.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
At one point, Egor Chinakhov had a clean break in off the right wing that Korpisalo stopped and then absorbed Chinakhov crashing into him.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Plus, even though the money was surely a factor, there's a chance the Rangers simply want a clean break from García, though there's no obvious top prospect ready to take his spot on the roster.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025
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Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
Chapter 13 is not always the clean break it's made out to be, and there are some downsides to taking this path.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The goal is to give successor Josh D’Amaro some time to settle and then a clean break to set his own path.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
Within the leftist movement that propelled Johnson, cracks between the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union team that primarily bankrolled his first run look more like a clean break.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
William would prefer a swift, clean break with Andrew before things decline further.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 16 Jan. 2026
New paradigm — That’s a clean break from the current way of doing things.
—Billy Perrigo, Time, 15 Jan. 2026
At one point, Egor Chinakhov had a clean break in off the right wing that Korpisalo stopped and then absorbed Chinakhov crashing into him.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Plus, even though the money was surely a factor, there's a chance the Rangers simply want a clean break from García, though there's no obvious top prospect ready to take his spot on the roster.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clean break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clean%20break. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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