make a clean break

idiom

: to end a relationship quickly

If you don't want to keep dating him, you should just make a clean break instead of dragging it out.

Examples of make a clean break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The staircase’s lead project coordinator, Bridget O’Hanlon, who serves under Ms. Moy as deputy commissioner for design and construction, is determined to make a clean break from Albany’s tradition of applying temporary salves to gaping structural wounds at the Capitol. —Jay Root, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

Move in with a friend, make a clean break, and don’t look back. —Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024

With that goal in mind, the FDA’s promotion of an alternative could be a breath of fresh air for providers looking to make a clean break from the method. —Korin Miller, Verywell Health, 2 Feb. 2024

Now, the Ukrainian authorities plan to use their wartime powers to try to make a clean break with the oligarchs. —Constant Méheut, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2024

Despite attempting to distance himself from his former patron, Zelensky has never been able to make a clean break with him. —Michael C. Desch, Harper's Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023

Finally, this would be an ideal moment for the FTC to make a clean break with its union-busting past. —Sandeep Vaheesan, The New Republic, 29 Aug. 2023

To make a clean break, Jelly recently got rid of his cellphone for several months. —Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 June 2023

The alternative is to make a clean break and vote to convict Trump. —Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2021