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
Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Unlike conventional breaches that hinge on phishing or user error, this exploit, now known as EchoLeak, bypassed human behavior entirely, silently extracting confidential information by manipulating how Copilot interacts with user data.
—Hugo Huang, Harvard Business Review, 9 Jan. 2026
Harry joins a league of celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Elton John against the Daily Mail’s publishers for alleged breaches of privacy, unlawful practices, and false stories.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 9 Jan. 2026
However, the State Department breaches of the visa bond program include overstaying in the United States and claiming asylum on a non-immigrant visa.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
But OpenAI has had security breaches in the past, most notably a March 2023 issue that allowed some users to see chat titles, initial messages, names, email addresses, and payment information from other users.
—Hayden Field, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2026
Scientists tracking humpbacks off the coast of Australia have captured rare footage that shows clutches of the freeloading fish peeling away from their host in what looks like a high-speed game of chicken, just moments before the whale breaches.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The producers said the accounts may raise serious questions about conduct on-the-ground and potential breaches of international law.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Justin Williams, New York Times, 12 Jan. 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
By rule, the ball does not have to touch a fan who breaches the field of play.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
Their lack of insight into their adversaries’ intelligence capability makes these militiamen demonstrably ineffectual at halting intelligence breaches.
—Elizabeth Tsurkov, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Unlike conventional breaches that hinge on phishing or user error, this exploit, now known as EchoLeak, bypassed human behavior entirely, silently extracting confidential information by manipulating how Copilot interacts with user data.
—Hugo Huang, Harvard Business Review, 9 Jan. 2026
Harry joins a league of celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost, Sir Elton John against the Daily Mail’s publishers for alleged breaches of privacy, unlawful practices, and false stories.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 9 Jan. 2026
However, the State Department breaches of the visa bond program include overstaying in the United States and claiming asylum on a non-immigrant visa.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026
But OpenAI has had security breaches in the past, most notably a March 2023 issue that allowed some users to see chat titles, initial messages, names, email addresses, and payment information from other users.
—Hayden Field, The Verge, 7 Jan. 2026
Scientists tracking humpbacks off the coast of Australia have captured rare footage that shows clutches of the freeloading fish peeling away from their host in what looks like a high-speed game of chicken, just moments before the whale breaches.
—CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
The producers said the accounts may raise serious questions about conduct on-the-ground and potential breaches of international law.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
If a player breaches a revenue-sharing agreement… ?
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 12 Jan. 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
By rule, the ball does not have to touch a fan who breaches the field of play.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaches
Noun
-
Similar laws in Louisiana, Arkansas and Ohio have also been struck down due to First Amendment infringements.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The suit also alleges infringements of Kelly’s due process rights and the separation of powers, among other violations.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the amnesty would apply to cases from 1999 to the present, but would exclude those prosecuted for homicide, drug trafficking, corruption and human rights violations.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Prosecutors have accused them of civil rights violations for disrupting the Cities Church service.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But labor union officials disputed that, saying Newsom, whose budget did not include any suggestions to close gaps caused by the federal government’s steep cuts to Medi-Cal and a wide range of social services, isn’t coming up with other answers.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Investors are responding to valuation gaps, earnings growth, and a world where capital and trade are increasingly multi directional.—
Krysta Escobar,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Because of this, Medeiros said, the question for many businesses becomes less about getting ICE to leave their property and more about what to do if ICE violates consent and other legal requirements.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Democratic senators from Oregon, New Mexico and Massachusetts asked Apple and Google to remove X from their app stores in a letter this month, saying that the mass generation of non-consensual sexualized images violates the stores’ distribution terms.—
Lola Murti,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Denmark plans tougher deportation laws COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark unveiled a legal reform on Friday allowing foreigners who have been sentenced to at least one year of unconditional imprisonment for serious crimes to be deported.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Prosecutors alleged the other crimes of violence were represented by two stalking charges, arguing Mangione stalked Thompson online and travelled across state lines to carry out the killing.—
Kara Scannell,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Officers saw multiple bullet holes on the metal fence dividing the properties and shell casings in his backyard, the affidavit said.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Add a pass rusher with the first pick, a receiver in Round 2 and then spend heavily on patching holes in free agency.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And just seeing the damage there just breaks my heart.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
My heart breaks for her family.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Which draws the attention of another ghost, a French man with a stack of papers documenting the man’s sins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaches. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
