Synonyms of break
-
as in to disrupt 
-
as in to stop
-
as in to reduce
-
as in to decipher
-
as in to pause
-
as in to plow
-
as in to violate
-
as in to solve
-
as in to damage
-
as in to die
-
as in to retreat
-
as in to wear
-
as in to circulate
-
as in to ruin
-
as in to begin
-
as in to veer
-
as in to depress
-
as in to exceed
-
as in to surface
-
as in pause
-
as in vacation
-
as in gap
-
as in opportunity
-
as in accident
-
as in escape
-
Example Sentences
-
Phrases Containing
-
Entries Near
-
Related Articles
1
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to decipher
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to pause
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
7
as in to violate
to fail to keep
had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
15
as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
16
as in to veer
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
17
as in to depress
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
18
as in to exceed
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
most of the students at the boarding school are going home for Christmas break
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rancher repaired the break in the fence where the horse had gotten through
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
5
as in accident
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events
a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of break
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 3 May 2025
One night, however, his grandfather, Harland Rust (Alec Baldwin), a legendary aging outlaw who hasn’t been heard from for years, emerges to break his grandson out of jail and whisk him across the border.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
On April 29, 2025, a source told Page Six that the break was much needed.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
There were alliances that formed and broke, romances that formed and broke, friendships that formed and broke.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 3 May 2025
One night, however, his grandfather, Harland Rust (Alec Baldwin), a legendary aging outlaw who hasn’t been heard from for years, emerges to break his grandson out of jail and whisk him across the border.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Noun
The Knicks then exorcised another demon — awful performances coming out of the halftime break.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
On April 29, 2025, a source told Page Six that the break was much needed.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
-
Comments The Four Seasons is an eight-episode Netflix series about middle-aged married couples whose dynamic is disrupted by a divorce in their midst.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 May 2025
-
The Red Sox appear uncertain if adding another change to his routine would disrupt his rhythm at the plate.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
One day, a man named Harold McPherson stopped to answer her, and not long after, the two married.—
Dorothy Fortenberry,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2025
-
Angelo must stop whoever’s coming for his family by searching his past hits for clues, and the list is very long.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
-
Now, Epic is going even further by reducing those fees to zero for a game's first $1 million in annual sales.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
On paper, the perfect match might not be difficult to decipher, and Lucy very much looks at the numbers.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
2 May 2025
-
However, the current system is a mishmash of educational jargon that is difficult to decipher.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
People pause, stumble over words, laugh at unexpected moments, and show real emotion.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
By contrast, Albanese’s Labor Party was able to demonstrate a steady hand – striking an authoritative tone in response to Trump’s decision to impose 10% tariffs on Australia, which were later paused, analysts said.—
Hilary Whiteman and Angus Watson,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
The car struck several people outside the building before plowing through it, hitting many inside.—
Sara Tenenbaum, Sara Machi, Ian Lee,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Listen to this article At least four students were killed and another six people injured after an SUV plowed through an afterschool program in a community 12 miles south of Springfield, Illinois, police said.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Last week a federal appeals court upheld Sessions’ order to bring Ozturk back to New England for hearings to determine whether her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, were violated, as her lawyers argue.—
Rodrique Ngowi,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2025
-
That was when the makers, Epic Games, included a direct payment option into the app, which violated Apple’s rules.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Verb
-
Some companies may pivot to domestic manufacturing, but this transition takes time and may not solve the issue.—
Rytis Lauris,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
-
Following the murder of her best friend, she’s forced to outrun the mob in her 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, traversing the byways of America while solving murders along the way.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 16 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share