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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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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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
Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
College football is so, so, so, soooo broken right now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Murray scored 26 points in the first half but was held to only two after the break.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Officers arrived on the scene and spoke to Gillespie who said his car had been broken into.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
College football is so, so, so, soooo broken right now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
Tre Jones made a floater for Chicago to start a 17-3 run, capped by a fast-break layup by Huerter that made it 97-77.
—Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
Murray scored 26 points in the first half but was held to only two after the break.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Future of Jobs Report, employers estimate that 39% of core skills — such as problem-solving and communication — will be disrupted by 2030, with 40% of firms planning to reduce their workforce specifically due to AI automation.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Both claim that new jobs and addressing the threat of being eclipsed by other nations offsets the risk of data centers damaging the environment and disrupting people’s lives.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If this is your habit, be sure to stop adding fertilizer in the fall when plant growth begins to slow.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
21 Jan. 2026
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When boat rentals stop for the winter, plan to take a walk around the basin instead of paddling on it for equally impressive views.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During his January 2025 State of the State address, Little called for tax cuts that could reduce the state’s general fund by about $100 million.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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To reduce sizes, builders are going back to open floor plans with fewer hallways.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But this can be tricky to decipher without a medical degree.—
Korin Miller,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
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So, the thinking went, every costume, prop, and line reading is there for a reason, infinite symbolism scattered across the frame for anyone determined enough to decipher it.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Burnett pauses, considers the question, and then flashes a mischievous grin.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Supreme Court clarified that the attorney general’s civil investigative demand for payroll records alone did not pause the statute of limitations, but the legal resistance to it did.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old activist who was marching with counter-protesters, was killed when a man plowed his car into the crowd.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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The man who intentionally plowed his SUV into a local police station wanted a cop to kill him, according to the incident’s police report.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In October 2025, Beckerink pleaded no contest to domestic violence charges in connection to two incidents at Tracey's home in New Buffalo, Michigan, as well as one count of contempt for violating his bond, and was sentenced to 93 days in jail.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The lawsuit argues the freeze violated federal law, including the Administrative Procedure Act and constitutional limits on executive power and how Congress appropriates funds.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, the problems that researchers are attempting to solve are thornier and more challenging than ever.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Scientists may have solved a cosmic mystery that has been troubling them since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began observations back in 2022.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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