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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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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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
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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
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Recent Examples of break
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
The message some voters send this week could potentially break the impasse, and jump start talks to reopen the government.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The Bucks were clinging to a 71-70 lead at the break after going 1 of 6 from 3-point range and 2 of 7 at the free-throw line in the second period.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
With heat records being broken year after year, and progress on emissions lagging, even the most radical climate ideas are starting to sound less far-fetched.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
The message some voters send this week could potentially break the impasse, and jump start talks to reopen the government.
—Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
These days, the break looks different.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The Bucks were clinging to a 71-70 lead at the break after going 1 of 6 from 3-point range and 2 of 7 at the free-throw line in the second period.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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But the science shows exercising late at night, just before bed can disrupt sleep.—
Allison Aubrey,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and Navy both operate advanced jamming aircraft, such as the J-16D, equipped with pods that can disrupt radar, GPS, and datalinks across wide areas.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The former instantly adds a second layer of security against unwanted guests, and the latter emits an ultra-loud alarm while acting like a door stop wedge, scaring off any stranger who tries to enter your room.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
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And Los Angeles did not stop there.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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October has seen 93 blank sailings, up from 58 in September, according to data from maritime research firm Drewry, with container capacity reduced by roughly 7 percent month over month.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Oct. 2025
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By cutting the cost and complexity of closings, the company hopes to expand access to homeownership, reduce fraud, and help smaller regional title firms compete with national giants.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Its inscriptions are currently being deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s caused many to limit new work to only a few specific roles, if not pause openings entirely.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
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Ripa asked, pausing the show momentarily.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bulldozers also plowed through the East Colonnade, which connected the East Wing to the executive residence.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
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Authorities say Singh was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated after plowing his big rig into slow-moving traffic on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tuesday’s announcement comes after Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce by firing on Israeli forces in Rafah and reneging on promises to return missing hostage remains.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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In a complaint filed in 2023, Gannett and the other plaintiffs accused Google of violating federal antitrust laws by abusing its dominant position to control and profit from the technology used by publishers to buy and sell ads across the internet.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An international team of researchers has solved a long-standing puzzle in quantum physics by discovering an elusive quasiparticle, called a polaron, in a unique rare-earth material.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
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Booking flights can sometimes feel like solving a math problem, especially when different time zones or changes are involved.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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