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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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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4
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
Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
The pop project is a top 20 win on each of them, and almost breaks into the top 10 on half of those tallies.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Tina Vatanka Murphy, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Share your thoughts with us A break from the news
Rebecca Morin is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
In the House, every seat matters, and flipping the chamber is Democrats’ best chance to break apart the Republican trifecta.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
The pop project is a top 20 win on each of them, and almost breaks into the top 10 on half of those tallies.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Noun
In healthcare supply chain, those breaks tend to jeopardize outcomes and erode trust.
—Tina Vatanka Murphy, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Share your thoughts with us A break from the news
Rebecca Morin is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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Honkai: Nexus Anima In this game, the creatures are called Anima and they’ve been scattered all across the world when the balance of the magical ‘Nexus’ is disrupted.—
David Jagneaux,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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Foil reflects heat, which can disrupt the oven's temperature regulation and cause overheating.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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People who experience severe allergic reactions may carry epinephrine autoinjectors, such as EpiPens, to stop anaphylaxis.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
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And unless the lake stops being filled with recycled wastewater, Gufarotti said, the units will be running constantly for the foreseeable future, meaning ongoing maintenance and electricity costs.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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An older test tube study found that Essiac tea could reduce harmful molecules called free radicals and protect DNA from damage.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
31 Aug. 2025
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Their antenna can dynamically adjust the frequency range by reconfiguring its shape to adapt to changing environmental conditions, reducing the need for multiple antennas, according to a forthcoming paper in The Proceedings of UIST'25.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Families already navigating the stress of a loved one’s declining health now have to decipher care levels, review costs, evaluate dining and activity programs, check safety records, and determine whether leadership turnover could impact quality of care.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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By the end of a muggy night, Cal Raleigh was outside the visiting clubhouse in a small corridor quietly explaining how the Yankees were able to decipher pitches thrown by closer Andres Munoz.—
Larry Fleisher,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, the project was paused in June to allow State Fair preparations to get underway, Schafer said.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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His wife pauses, smiles, then adds a note that summarizes everything.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Johnson and his administration have spent much time and energy — mostly in vain — demanding more money from Pritzker and lawmakers in Springfield, in no small part due to the pressure on city services from having to plow more money into pension funds.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Aug. 2025
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Our planet plowed through the densest part of the comet's trail on Aug. 12-13, when countless cometary shards collided with Earth, burning up in spectacular fashion as they were overcome by the friction of atmospheric entry.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He was scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 2 for allegedly violating the terms of his probation soon before he was arrested alongside Rebecca in the current case, the court documents show.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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Ward was arrested again in August for allegedly violating his bail agreement on that charge.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But Trotter said the mystery of where the Carruthers ended up has been solved.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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There was so much in the world already, so many problems that needed to be solved, without complicating things by reënacting what had already happened or was happening somewhere right now or might never happen.—
Rachel Cusk,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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