BREAKS Synonyms: 709 Similar and Opposite Words

breaks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of break

as in disrupts

to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase

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as in stops

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the final vote broke the deadlock

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as in reduces

to bring to a lower grade or rank the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander

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as in deciphers

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

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as in pauses

to come to a temporary halt in one's activity she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime

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as in plows

to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows

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as in violates

to fail to keep had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone

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as in solves

to find an answer for through reasoning Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds

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as in damages

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of I broke a tooth on the hard candy

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as in dies

to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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starts (up)

as in retreats

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

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as in wears

to use up all the physical energy of the trek up the mountain just about broke me

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as in circulates

to become known as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

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as in bankrupts

to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts another bad investment could break him

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as in begins

to come into existence the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

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as in veers

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds

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straightens

as in lowers

to diminish the price or value of distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

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as in exceeds

to go beyond the limit of a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners

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as in surfaces

to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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breaks

2 of 2

noun

plural of break

as in lulls

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

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as in vacations

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

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as in gaps

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

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as in opportunities

a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place in classic fashion, her big break came when, as an understudy, she took over for an ailing star

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as in accidents

an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life

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as in escapes

the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a desperate break from that hellhole

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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 breaks

Verb

People are paying for gyms and actually showing up, which breaks a business model that spent decades monetizing absence. — Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 Leroy Burrell breaks the world record in the 100 meters in Lausanne, Switzerland. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 This breaks the previous record high of 100 degrees set on July 4th, 1919. — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 5 July 2026 The job is not just knowing the product or having the right answer, but being the person someone calls when something breaks or a deadline slips. — Jeremy Fain, Fortune, 1 July 2026 The party has found a kind of rhythm, where the president breaks fundraising records, spreads the wealth around, and, in return, gets to humiliate disloyal Republicans in seats that the party can’t lose. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 1 July 2026 The trend has spread through figures like David Goggins, and outfitter GORUCK breaks the workout into three steps. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 Nothing breaks — because coordination doesn’t claim to house anyone. — David Lee Condrey, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2026 What is the everything shower Marie Lodi, writing for Yahoo, breaks it down simply. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026

Noun

Since their relationship became public in 2023, the couple has squeezed romance into tour schedules, football obligations and rare breaks from two of the most demanding careers in entertainment and sports. — Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Haverhill installed a second bypass line to help better control the flow of sewage after two breaks and a massive sewage overflow for five days last week, helping secure the system as more rains threatened the temporary bypass Tuesday. — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 Who knows where value is created, where delay enters, where risk accumulates, where customer experience breaks, where human judgment improves the outcome, and where human involvement simply reflects legacy process design? — Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 In his own research, Brown’s team compared the effects of passive breaks against breaks with active cooling measures on the health of players participating in 90-minute soccer games in 104-degree heat and 41% humidity. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026 Choose clear points, avoid oversharing, and take breaks between messages. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026 Bargain packing cubes can be fine for simple organization, at least until the fabric tears or the zipper breaks. — Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026 The World Cup will always include unjust calls and bad breaks. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 Hourly walking breaks appear to strike the best balance between being realistic and providing meaningful health benefits. — Allison Forsyth, Health, 30 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks

Verb

Live Local also disrupts years of successful and careful planning by the city to promote compatible, consistent development in neighborhoods like Wynwood.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
After all, the status quo looks safer than making a big bet on something that disrupts everything from operations to revenue.

— James Loffler, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of disrupts

Verb

The global oil surplus should help commercial stockpiles bounce back, particularly if the rest of the world stops relying so much on the United States as the petroleum producer of last resort.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
If exception paths are undocumented, AI either stops too early or acts with false confidence.

— Sanjay Srivastava, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Definition of stops

Verb

Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.

— Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025

Definition of deciphers

Verb

But when her big bro Sherlock (Henry Cavill) goes missing during the festivities, Enola pauses getting hitched to find him and also unearth a military cover-up.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 July 2026
These pauses in data center permitting and construction give communities time to consider how to define new laws and regulations about the facilities’ location, electricity use, water conservation and noise buffering.

— Rachel Mural, Fortune, 21 June 2026

Definition of pauses

Verb

If the district violates these state laws, the property would return to state ownership.

— Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2026
Aysha Bagchi In a win for Republicans, the Supreme Court ruled that a federal law limiting how much political parties can spend in coordination with an election candidate violates the First Amendment, which establishes the right to free speech.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of violates

Cite this Entry

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“Breaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of breaks

verb

noun

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