1
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to end
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox broke off their two-year engagement in November of 2024, just weeks after announcing Fox’s pregnancy.
—
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
But the Cubs broke off to form the Marquee Sports Network in 2020, and regional sports networks, long the cash cow of pay TV, have struggled financially in recent years as cord-cutting takes its toll on the cable bundle.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles, and adult snakes’ rattles occasionally break off, according to the National Park Service.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025
The awesome sight likely wasn't entirely harmless: Remnants of the cosmic object may have broken off and plummeted through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, according to the local National Weather Service office.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
But the Cubs broke off to form the Marquee Sports Network in 2020, and regional sports networks, long the cash cow of pay TV, have struggled financially in recent years as cord-cutting takes its toll on the cable bundle.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles, and adult snakes’ rattles occasionally break off, according to the National Park Service.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025
The awesome sight likely wasn't entirely harmless: Remnants of the cosmic object may have broken off and plummeted through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, according to the local National Weather Service office.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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Such as when our yellow Lab Frank couldn’t stop wagging his tail while digging a hole.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
Verb
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No epidemic has ever been ended without stopping transmission.—
Peter Sands,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Trump also described battlefield losses and touted his credentials as a leader who can end wars.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Parrot Jungle ceased operations in Pinecrest and its birds and staff made the move to Miami with the opening of Jungle Island in 2003.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
18 July 2025
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Nissan Stadium's weather policy states that if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stage, the venue must cease the concert and ask show-goers to shelter in place.—
Melonee Hurt,
The Tennessean,
18 July 2025
Verb
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Taking effect in September 2026 and extending through the 2029-30 season, the new CBA was passed by a majority vote from both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHL Players’ Association, more than 14 months before the current agreement expires.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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Indeed, the executive order that established ORM and requires regulatory analysis expires in June 2026.—
Susan E. Dudley,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Due to the storm damage, the city of Plainfield said that its city pools and parks are closed on Tuesday for inspection and safety assessment, while services at the Plainfield Senior Center are halted.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
15 July 2025
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In an unsigned order on Monday, the top court temporarily lifted a lower court ruling from May that indefinitely paused the layoffs and reinstated those who were let go, while also halting President Donald Trump’s Executive Order from March which called for the department to be closed down.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Johnson concluded that the program breached a guideline on accuracy, which deals with misleading audiences.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
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The court concluded the precise wording of the promise did not satisfy the technical requirements of a doctrine known as promissory estoppel.—
Marianne Pizzitola,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Money has also been spent on nongovernmental organization programs that hand out clean needles and crack pipes as part of progressive harm reduction policies instead of encouraging homeless drug users to quit.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
14 July 2025
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Although the overall unemployment rate is just 4.1%, few people are quitting jobs today, and employers are skittish about hiring.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 July 2025
Verb
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There are now more than 1 billion Android devices that fall foul of Google’s cutting off security updates for Android 12 and older phones, and also from its tweaking its Play Integrity API to disfavor apps running on these unsupported versions of the OS.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Wendy's breakfast items are not available all day, so customers looking for a boost of protein before a morning workout or workday should stop by before 10:30 a.m. for most locations (though some cut off breakfast sooner or later).—
Sabrina Weiss,
People.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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