Synonyms of break
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as in to disrupt
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as in to stop
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as in to reduce
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as in to decipher
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as in to pause
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as in to plow
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as in to violate
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as in to solve
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as in to damage
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as in to die
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as in to retreat
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as in to wear
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as in to circulate
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as in to ruin
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as in to begin
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as in to veer
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as in to depress
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as in to exceed
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as in to surface
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as in pause
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as in vacation
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as in gap
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as in opportunity
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as in accident
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as in escape
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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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
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2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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9
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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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
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12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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15
as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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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
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17
as in to depress
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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6
as in escape
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
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Recent Examples of break
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
And as mentioned above, your curls must be 100% dry before breaking them up, fluffing them, or touching them.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 4 May 2026
Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The seasoning level didn’t match that of the fish, offering a nice break from that briny punch.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
At each stop, a contingent of no more than 10 workers and organizers broke from the group, walked inside and pitched whoever was in charge on Planting Justice, explaining what the working conditions are like at the nurseries that supply the retailers’ plants.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
And as mentioned above, your curls must be 100% dry before breaking them up, fluffing them, or touching them.
—Catharine Malzahn, Glamour, 4 May 2026
Noun
An everyday work break quickly became a million-dollar core memory for a man visiting his regular convenience store.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
The seasoning level didn’t match that of the fish, offering a nice break from that briny punch.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Allen was injured but was not shot during the April 25 attack at the Washington Hilton, which disrupted one of the highest-profile annual events in the nation’s capital.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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Several airlines are offering limited-time fares to help accommodate passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted by Spirit’s closure.—
Scott Laird,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
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In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has—unfairly—been reduced to an excuse to drink tequila and eat guac.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 May 2026
Verb
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In corporate news, luxury conglomerate and industry bellwether LVMH reported quarterly sales that missed expectations on Monday as the sector begins to decipher the fallout from the war in the Middle East and its impact on stocks.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
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The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Secretary Hegseth told your committee that the administration doesn't need congressional authorization to continue the war past 60 days because the clock pauses because of the ceasefire.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
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The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, which didn’t respond to a request for comment when this article was published, argued in court that the delivery of ballots isn’t enough to pause a law, despite decades of precedent.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Brin and a cohort of the ultrawealthy including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and venture capitalists Vinod Khosla and John Doerr have plowed millions into supporting Matt Mahan, a Silicon Valley mayor, with a back-to-basics agenda and a penchant for taking on the state’s Democratic establishment.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Rather than plowing down anyone, a tackle is when a player slides feet first to dislodge the ball from an opposing player.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Haines is among more than 1,500 property owners who filed a federal lawsuit arguing the moratorium enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention violated the Fifth Amendment by unlawfully denying them compensation.—
Michael Casey,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
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But after the state complied, white plaintiffs sued, saying the second district drawn with racial goals in mind violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The best lip liners for mature lips solve a problem that goes beyond smudging.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
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Pip is back to solve another case in season 2 of the beloved Good Girl's Guide series based on books by Holly Jackson.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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