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
The whales break off the ends of bull kelp stalks and use them to groom each other.
—
Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
Slot even broke off from his summer holiday to travel to the south of France to meet Cherki at the end of May.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 20 June 2025
An officer subsequently breaks off a section of the roof and pulls the woman from the vehicle.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 11 June 2025
Though the initial case was dismissed and the couple broke off their relationship at the psychologist's behest, Wilson's family filed a conservatorship lawsuit two years later and successfully removed the musician from Landy's care.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
Slot even broke off from his summer holiday to travel to the south of France to meet Cherki at the end of May.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 20 June 2025
An officer subsequently breaks off a section of the roof and pulls the woman from the vehicle.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 11 June 2025
Though the initial case was dismissed and the couple broke off their relationship at the psychologist's behest, Wilson's family filed a conservatorship lawsuit two years later and successfully removed the musician from Landy's care.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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Without any consequences, this autocratic politician will continue to push the limits of his authority beyond the breaking point until someone forces him to stop.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
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Paul Goldschmidt had one of just three Yankees hits in Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the A’s, but that didn’t stop him from sharing some self-depreciation after the game.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2025
Verb
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States would be responsible for them, and — miracle of miracles — state and federal agencies actually agreed on how to manage grizzlies after ESA protections end.—
Christine Peterson,
Vox,
27 June 2025
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Episodes ended by dangling game rules and character deaths, beguiling us to keep watching.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Seven of the health facilities that Save the Children had supported in the region have fully closed, and 20 more have partly ceased operations.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 June 2025
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In 2021, Iran revealed its plan for taking enrichment from 20% to 60%, and soon afterward ceased to provide any further details on its fuel-making program.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Messi left at the end of that season, his contract allowed to expire, while Neymar also departed.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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But that’s because in the TCJA, many of the tax benefits for individuals were set to expire at the end of 2025, while the corporate tax breaks were largely permanent.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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That plan would halt roughly $522 billion in investments, many of which are based in red states.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
1 July 2025
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Environmental concerns about the airport’s impact on the Everglades halted plans to develop the facility further in the late 1970s and early 1980s.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Hong Kong concluded its stablecoin consultation in early 2025, signaling a shift toward regulatory recognition in Asia.—
Elizabeth Rossiello,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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The judge also concluded that the balance of hardships favors the imposition of an injunction.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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In April alone, 3.2 million Americans quit their jobs.—
Julia Korn,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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To say the quiet part out loud: many athletes have previously felt that choosing to have a child meant having to quit.—
L'Oréal Blackett,
Refinery29,
30 June 2025
Verb
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According to media reports last week, the Defense Department’s rationale for cutting off this data has to do with cybersecurity concerns stemming from the way the data is transmitted between agencies.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
30 June 2025
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In 2010, China cut off rare earth exports to Japan during a maritime dispute, a clear warning shot the U.S. observed but brushed off.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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