Thesaurus
break
Synonyms and Antonyms of break
1 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 Synonyms pause, breath, breather, interruption, lull, recessRelated Words time-out; interim, interlude, intermission, interval, respite, rest; cessation, discontinuance, downtime, ending, expiration, finishing, hitch, lapse, stoppage, stopping, termination; abeyance, moratorium, surcease, suspension; discontinuity, gap, hiatusNear Antonyms continuation, endurance, persistence, progress, progression; extension, prolongation
2 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 Synonyms vacation, holiday [chiefly British], hols [British], leave, recessRelated Words sabbatical; furlough, liberty; breather, relaxation, respite, rest; interim, intermission, interval; feast, holy day, legal holiday; idling, loafing, lounging, slacking
3 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 Synonyms breach, gap, discontinuity, gulf, hiatus, hole, interstice, interval, opening, rent, rift, separation, voidRelated Words chink, cleft, crack, cranny, crevice, fissure; notch, slit, slot, split; interspace, pore; abyss, aperture, cavity, chasm, gape, orifice; fracture, rupture, severance, sundering
4 a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place in classic fashion, her big break came when, as an understudy, she took over for an ailing star Synonyms opportunity, chance, occasion, opening, room, shotRelated Words play, way; juncture, pass
5 an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life Synonyms fluke, strikeRelated Words accident, chance, circumstance, hap, happenchance, happenstance, hazard, luck
6 the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a desperate break from that hellhole Synonyms escape, breakout, bunk [British], flight, getaway, lam, rout, slipRelated Words jailbreak; deliverance, liberation, redemption, release, rescue, salvation; close call, close shave, near missNear Antonyms captivity, confinement, immurement, imprisonment, incarceration, internment; custody, detention, hold, holding, retention; endangerment, hazard, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, risk, trouble
Read the Latest from M-W
break
Synonyms and Antonyms of break
1 to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase Synonyms break up, bust, distintegrate, dismember, disrupt, fracture, fragment, rive Related Words atomize, crush, grind, powder, pulverize, reduce; blast, blow up, burst, detonate, explode; crack, pop, shatter, shiver, smash; chip, sliver, splinter, split; implode; destroy, ruin, wreck Near Antonyms doctor, fix, heal, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair
2 to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the final vote broke the deadlock Synonyms stop, break off, break up, can [slang], cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut offRelated Words complete, conclude, finish; close (down); deactivate; block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem; call, suspend; arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back; pause, stay, suspend; abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuffNear Antonyms carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on; advance, proceed, progress; actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir
3 to bring to a lower grade or rank the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander Synonyms demote, bust, degrade, disrate, downgrade, reduceRelated Words can, cashier, dismiss, downsize, fire, lay off, sack; abase, debase, demean, humble, humiliate, lowerNear Antonyms hireAntonyms advance, elevate, promote, raise
4 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 Synonyms decode, crack, decipher, decryptRelated Words descramble, unscramble; render, translate; dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), solve, unravel, unriddle, work, work outNear Antonyms garble, jumble (up), mix (up)Antonyms cipher, code, encipher, encode, encrypt
5 to come to a temporary halt in one's activity she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime Synonyms pauseRelated Words hesitate; break in, interrupt; cease, discontinue, end, finish, stop, terminate; knock off, lay off, quit; lapse, let upNear Antonyms continue, persist; advance, progress; extend, prolong, stretch
6 to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows Synonyms plow, furrowRelated Words cultivate, till; fallow; harrow, hoe, list, rake, rototill
7 to fail to keep had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone Synonyms breach, violate, contravene, fracture, infringe, offend, traduce, transgressRelated Words disobey, rebel; blow off, brush (off), disregard, flout, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, tune out, wink (at); dismiss, pooh-pooh (also pooh), scorn, shrug off; defy, resist, withstandNear Antonyms defer (to), serve, submit (to), surrender (to), yield (to); attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, watchAntonyms comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey, observe
8 to find an answer for through reasoning Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds Synonyms answer, solve, crack, dope (out), figure out, puzzle (out), resolve, riddle (out), unravel, unriddle, work, work outRelated Words conclude, decide, deduce, gather, infer, judge, reason; clear (up), iron out, straighten (out), unscramble, untangle, untie; assume, conjecture, divine, guess, presume, speculate; decipher, decode
Learn More about break
-
Dictionary: Definition of break Medical Dictionary: Definition of break Spanish Central: Translation of break Nglish: Translation of break for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of break for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about break
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up break? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!