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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Related Articles
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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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
Economists predicted that the United States would break free of its long-running housing slump in 2025.
—Luke Broadwater Eric Schmitt Glenn Thrush Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Beyond the surf breaks and world-class sunsets, Hawaii has a complex story.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Serving for the set at 5-4, Sabalenka couldn’t finish off Gauff, who saved two set points and finally broke Sabalenka on her fifth chance.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
Economists predicted that the United States would break free of its long-running housing slump in 2025.
—Luke Broadwater Eric Schmitt Glenn Thrush Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Noun
The Face the Nation preview was aired during the show, not during an advertising break.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Beyond the surf breaks and world-class sunsets, Hawaii has a complex story.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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The earthquake disrupted the World Series and damaged the Bay Bridge, Oakland’s Cypress Freeway, and swaths of San Francisco.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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Why disrupt a good thing by adding more and presumably inferior teams to the mix?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
Verb
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On September 2, Border Force officers had stopped two women at London Stansted Airport.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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When the car stopped at a train crossing near Samuels Avenue and Northeast 23rd Street, Castilleja removed a folding knife from his sweatshirt pocket and stabbed his father once in the right side of the neck, according to the affidavit.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To reduce the chance of being struck by lightning, when venturing outside, have a plan to get to a safer area.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
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Yerevan has since sought to diversify its defense sources, reducing arms imports from Russia to as low as 10 percent by 2024.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, Tarhan explained, women will flip the cups over and try and try to decipher the meaning left behind by the coffee sediment — kind of like reading your fortune in tea leaves.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2025
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Finally, Ross helps boost your energy intelligence to decipher when rest requires slowing down and when it’s achieved by accelerating in a new, reinvigorating direction.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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In a 2-to-1 decision on Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily paused a lower court’s order requiring the Trump White House to allow Associated Press reporters to participate in daily press events and presidential travel.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Woldenberg’s first response to the Liberation Day tariffs was to pause his plans to build a new warehouse.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The highway where the crash happened is on a route between Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons that is open in the spring before a north-south route is plowed and the park fully opens for summer.—
Michael Dorgan , Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2025
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Throughout the seasons, our roads are maintained by the county, from snow plowing in the winter to grading the bumps during the other three seasons.—
Melinda Fouts,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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But in recent years Maryland has violated the criteria more frequently than any other state.—
Rachel Baye,
NPR,
5 June 2025
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The amendment was inspired by neighboring counties, including Sacramento and Placer, that already instituted hefty fines for violating fireworks ordinances.—
Jack Rodriquez-Vars,
Sacbee.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
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With an intention to welcome 1 million foreign workers over the next three years, the plan to solve Spain's overtourism issues has never been more prescient.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Eventually the problem of making safe, fuel-efficient, consumer-friendly automobiles was more or less solved.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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