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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
The collision involving the defendant's car and five police cars caused one of the police cars to have its roof torn off and the doors broken off, according to reports.
—
Escher Walcott, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
His stroke occurred after a piece of plaque broke off and went to his brain, Lindsey said.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Valerie Bertinelli’s ex-boyfriend Mike Goodnough is sharing his side of who chose to break off their relationship.
—Erin Clements, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The base of the 35-pound trophy broke off as Vance held it up with help from star Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Escher Walcott, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
His stroke occurred after a piece of plaque broke off and went to his brain, Lindsey said.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Valerie Bertinelli’s ex-boyfriend Mike Goodnough is sharing his side of who chose to break off their relationship.
—Erin Clements, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The base of the 35-pound trophy broke off as Vance held it up with help from star Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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Chemotherapy Chemotherapy agents, most commonly docetaxel, may be used when hormone treatments stop working and a person has metastatic CRPC.—
Matthew Wosnitzer,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2025
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Angelo must stop whoever’s coming for his family by searching his past hits for clues, and the list is very long.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
Verb
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The game ended on a sacrifice fly at 1:17 a.m. Arkansas will throw junior right-hander Gage Wood against LSU junior right-hander Anthony Eyanson.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2025
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The legislature passed nearly 500 bills in its 120 days of work, which ended about 7:20 p.m. as the House adjourned, shortly after the Senate.—
The Denver Post,
Denver Post,
10 May 2025
Verb
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When that shows '0,' this restaurant needs to cease operations.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
20 May 2025
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Starting June 1, the forecast office in Fairbanks, Alaska, also will cease overnight staffing; Pendleton, Oregon, also is on the list provided by Fahy, but a date has not been set.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
Verb
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Perfumes and Essential Oils Not only can fragrances and essential oils expire, it’s recommended to keep them out of the bathroom entirely.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 May 2025
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The Big 12’s media rights agreement expires in the summer of 2031, which means the next contract likely will be signed and sealed in the spring of 2030 — during Yormark’s tenure.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
10 May 2025
Verb
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After Trump halted the refugee program, freezing funding for processing and resettlement aid, a group of refugees and resettlement agencies filed a federal lawsuit challenging shutdown.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
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The connective tissue to the previous films takes the form of the late, great Tony Todd, who before his death in November reprised his role as a wise coroner offering guidance to our characters, frantic to halt their impending doom.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Their research concluded that nearly 40% of dogs tested positive for the disease.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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Investigators later concluded that faulty mechanical systems, combined with weak oversight, were to blame.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2025
Verb
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In rapid succession that day, Brockman quit in protest, followed by three other senior researchers.—
Karen Hao,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2025
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Triggers, like client loss or staff quitting, reveal areas for personal growth.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Some sort of flight test took place two years ago, but the video cuts off after a minute, suggesting that the end of the flight was less than nominal.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
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During the Sunday Morning interview, which was focused on Belichick's new memoir, Hudson was seen cutting off questions from journalist Tony Dokoupil about their relationship.—
Julie Mazziotta,
People.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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