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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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
Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 2 June 2026
Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 2 June 2026
Dave Wannstedt, the coach who gave Jeff Hafley his first big coaching break, hiring him as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 2006, was in attendance for Tuesday’s start of Miami’s mandatory minicamp.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Augie Lopez broke the tie with a single to right-center.
—Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026
Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 2 June 2026
Noun
Sneaking around like a scullery maid feels like a big ask on a spenny weekend break.
—Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 2 June 2026
Dave Wannstedt, the coach who gave Jeff Hafley his first big coaching break, hiring him as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 2006, was in attendance for Tuesday’s start of Miami’s mandatory minicamp.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Closure of the strait, at the southern end of the Red Sea and a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, could significantly disrupt global trade.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
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The British Museum elected to postpone a Jewish Culture Month event that was scheduled to take place last Thursday, May 28th due to concerns that the talk—a lecture on Ancient Israel and Judah—might be disrupted by protests.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 June 2026
Verb
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In order to secure the funds, the family members submitted fake financial instruments and money orders, continuing to do so even after the IRS sent them letters telling them to stop, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
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The order, which Trump signed in private on June 2, stops short of mandating that the federal government conduct safety evaluations and cybersecurity testing for advanced AI products.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Spirulina helps eliminate heavy metal build-up in the body, for instance; ginger and cumin reduce bloating; lecithin and gingko can improve memory.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Statistically, the drug reduced the risk of death by 60% compared with chemotherapy.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Immigration experts who were trying to decipher the news said the memo was more nuanced, leading to confusion over what the change actually entailed.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Visitors passing through the imposing glass doors of FamilySearch Library on Salt Lake City’s Temple Square are likely to pause at the sheer size of the five-story, 135,000-square-foot archive, which houses the largest collection of genealogical data in the world.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Tan has laid off approximately 34% of Intel’s workforce and paused plans to expand manufacturing facilities in Germany and Poland.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Verb
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The community is in shock after a driver plowed his car into some businesses in the Castro District early Sunday morning.—
Sooji Nam,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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Softbank has plowed more than $30 billion into OpenAI, with its investment gains in the company totaling $45 billion in the year ended March.—
Azhar Sukri,
CNBC,
31 May 2026
Verb
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So Daniel’s book violated those rules, and Louis’ actions within the book did, too.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 June 2026
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The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Despite having tiny brains, bumblebees have demonstrated a remarkable ability to socially learn how to use tools, solve simple puzzles, and cooperate to achieve a goal.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2026
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Palantir solved the prisoner’s dilemma by defecting first.—
Michael Gregory,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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