1
as in infringements
a failure to uphold the requirements of law, duty, or obligation
the president's deliberate misstatements were widely seen as a breach of the public trust
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violations
a breaking of a moral or legal code
cheating on the exam was a serious breach of the military academy's honor code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in gaps
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the cat got out of the yard through a breach in the hedge
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in violates
to fail to keep
a builder being sued by a homeowner for breaching a contract
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 breaches
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
In According to Fortinet’s latest report, professionals cited the lack of IT skills and training as one of the top three causes of breaches.
—Tarika Barrett, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) reported that exploitation of system vulnerabilities as an initial access step for attackers grew by 34% in 2025 and accounted for 20% of breaches, only behind credential abuse at 22% as an access vector for attackers.
—Bob Zukis, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Kellie Owens, an assistant professor of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, says privacy protections like HIPAA compliance do not eliminate the possibility of breaches.
—Windsor Johnston, NPR, 26 May 2026
There have been other incidents in which promotion or the result of a knockout match have been overridden by off-field misdemeanours, but none were deliberate or malicious breaches.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Separately, the Embassy of Israel in Thailand warned its nationals in vacation hotspot Phuket to follow local laws and regulations, according to a statement on its Facebook page earlier this month, noting that serious breaches could lead local officials to revoke visas.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
City was charged by the league in February 2023 with more than 100 financial breaches, including providing misleading information about its sources of income.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
Also, 2024 saw the largest data breaches in history, impacting billions of users and subjecting customers to the potential of having personal data exposed and ultimately exploited.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Gas breaches $6 a gallon in California.
—Angela Cullen, Bloomberg, 30 Apr. 2026
Her filing says the renaming violates federal statutes, breaches the board’s fiduciary duties and contradicts the trust Congress created after Kennedy’s assassination.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
When magma breaches the surface of the Earth, it’s usually called lava.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
The sound of her paws on the floor, the weight of her on your lap, the pure joy of her silly expressions, the sound of her bark when the mailman breaches the front porch, the softness of her wooly head, and yes, even the ever-present doggy breath.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
As a battle ensues, the matriarch of the Tulkuns breaches the water and attacks the enemy ship, also known as the factory ship.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
The difference, Tillmon said, is that whereas law enforcement is more responsive in nature, violence interrupters act before a situation breaches a level of crime.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Nothing so much as a heated theological debate breaches the Brotherhood’s temperate cultural climes.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
In addition to naming four new defendants and adding an allegation that police wrongly denied Ding medical care, the lawsuit argues the San Diego Police Department has a history of officer misconduct and command staff covering up those breaches.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
In According to Fortinet’s latest report, professionals cited the lack of IT skills and training as one of the top three causes of breaches.
—Tarika Barrett, Fortune, 29 May 2026
Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) reported that exploitation of system vulnerabilities as an initial access step for attackers grew by 34% in 2025 and accounted for 20% of breaches, only behind credential abuse at 22% as an access vector for attackers.
—Bob Zukis, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Kellie Owens, an assistant professor of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, says privacy protections like HIPAA compliance do not eliminate the possibility of breaches.
—Windsor Johnston, NPR, 26 May 2026
There have been other incidents in which promotion or the result of a knockout match have been overridden by off-field misdemeanours, but none were deliberate or malicious breaches.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Separately, the Embassy of Israel in Thailand warned its nationals in vacation hotspot Phuket to follow local laws and regulations, according to a statement on its Facebook page earlier this month, noting that serious breaches could lead local officials to revoke visas.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
City was charged by the league in February 2023 with more than 100 financial breaches, including providing misleading information about its sources of income.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
Also, 2024 saw the largest data breaches in history, impacting billions of users and subjecting customers to the potential of having personal data exposed and ultimately exploited.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026
Verb
Wembanyama’s unorthodox combination of height and skill breaches our paradigms.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Gas breaches $6 a gallon in California.
—Angela Cullen, Bloomberg, 30 Apr. 2026
Her filing says the renaming violates federal statutes, breaches the board’s fiduciary duties and contradicts the trust Congress created after Kennedy’s assassination.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
When magma breaches the surface of the Earth, it’s usually called lava.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
The sound of her paws on the floor, the weight of her on your lap, the pure joy of her silly expressions, the sound of her bark when the mailman breaches the front porch, the softness of her wooly head, and yes, even the ever-present doggy breath.
—Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
As a battle ensues, the matriarch of the Tulkuns breaches the water and attacks the enemy ship, also known as the factory ship.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025
The difference, Tillmon said, is that whereas law enforcement is more responsive in nature, violence interrupters act before a situation breaches a level of crime.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Nothing so much as a heated theological debate breaches the Brotherhood’s temperate cultural climes.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaches
Noun
-
Four groups, one from each of those religions, filed a brief urging the high court to take up the USCCB’s case, warning that keeping the lower court rulings in place could lead to infringements on religious autonomy for other religions.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
26 May 2026
-
Montana led the nation in passing legislation that limits infringements on the ability of any resident to make full use of AI and related technologies.—
Neil Chilson,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Other violations throughout the years included creating another public nuisance in 2006 that generated more than 10 complaints and operating equipment contrary to its permit.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The facility was inspected by the department three other times in the last five years and was cited for violations unrelated to chemicals and storage.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Fill in some of the scientific gaps about our solar system and the universe beyond with us.—
Regina G. Barber,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
Find opportunities for legislative or policy fixes to address gaps in the law that limit the state's ability to intervene effectively.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The suit, filed on June 1 in the District Court’s Dallas division by Dallas firm Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, claims that the destruction of the mural, designated as Whaling Wall 82, violates the artist’s rights under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 (VARA).—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
2 June 2026
-
What happened Florida on Monday sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging that the company’s AI chatbot violates state consumer protection laws.—
Rafi Schwartz,
TheWeek,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
He was taken into custody without incident on suspicion of second-degree murder and other crimes, Reed said.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
-
Flock cameras also improve efficiency by helping officers quickly identify vehicles connected to crimes, which can reduce investigative time and limit the need for additional overtime.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Russell Henley birdied the final four holes, including in a sudden death playoff, to win the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday at Colonial Country Club.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2026
-
At least one watchdog group warned the legislation could poke more holes into the property tax base for very large developers across the state, not just the Bears.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Standards will emerge, including some that machines can issue to other machines, with a human institution somewhere in the chain that is willing to be legally liable when the chain breaks.—
Alex Lazarow,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Gatsby says customers are covered if the robot damages anything during a cleaning, with the company promising to replace items the robot breaks.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Like the black bamboo by my window, bent by the heavy snows, we were broken by the burden of our sins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
For pilgrims, Hajj, performed over five days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.—
Baraa Anwer,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaches. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
