Synonyms of breaking
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as in disrupting 
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as in stopping
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as in reducing
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as in deciphering
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as in pausing
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as in plowing
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as in violating
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as in solving
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as in damaging
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as in dying
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as in retreating
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as in wearing
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as in spreading
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as in bankrupting
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as in originating
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as in veering
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as in lowering
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as in exceeding
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as in surfacing
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
1
as in disrupting
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 stopping
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
as in reducing
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 deciphering
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 pausing
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
as in plowing
to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement
farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows
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7
as in violating
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 solving
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 damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in dying
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in retreating
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 wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in spreading
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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14
as in bankrupting
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
another bad investment could break him
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15
as in originating
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in veering
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 lowering
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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18
as in exceeding
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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19
as in surfacing
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below
dolphins were breaking all around the boat
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking
His most recent stop before Arkansas was in Baltimore, Maryland, as a night and breaking news editor.
—
Arkansas Online, 10 Nov. 2025
But the breaking bagel news is that Dallas cult favorite Shug’s is in the early stage of planning a west Fort Worth bagel bakery and sandwich shop.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025
Gardner simply won that rep, breaking on the ball from depth to make an athletic play.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Even if those problems can be overcome, breaking China’s lock on rare earths may take another decade or even longer.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
According to a White House statement to NPR, no high-level officials will attend COP30 — breaking a long-standing tradition.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.
—Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Stick with us all week for breaking news on election night, as well as analysis in the days following the election.
—Carl Weiser, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Nov. 2025
They are both seen as charismatic leaders breaking old rules.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Arkansas Online, 10 Nov. 2025
But the breaking bagel news is that Dallas cult favorite Shug’s is in the early stage of planning a west Fort Worth bagel bakery and sandwich shop.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025
Gardner simply won that rep, breaking on the ball from depth to make an athletic play.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Even if those problems can be overcome, breaking China’s lock on rare earths may take another decade or even longer.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
According to a White House statement to NPR, no high-level officials will attend COP30 — breaking a long-standing tradition.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 10 Nov. 2025
Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, trimming or breaking ladyfingers as needed to fit.
—Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025
Stick with us all week for breaking news on election night, as well as analysis in the days following the election.
—Carl Weiser, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Nov. 2025
They are both seen as charismatic leaders breaking old rules.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking
Verb
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In addition to disrupting the students’ routines, parents said the school closure forced them to scramble to make child care arrangements.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
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And the light from screens can affect your circadian rhythm, disrupting your sleep.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Federal judge Julia Kobick in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Administration from enforcing the policy against Orr and six other individual plaintiffs in April.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, a passenger aircraft that can complete make the journey without stopping is in the final stages of construction, Qantas announced on Friday, releasing first images of the plane as it is assembled.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Under the new terms of the license, Chevron was authorized to pay fees and royalties to Venezuela in oil but not in cash, effectively reducing Chevron’s crude exports from the country by half, according to Reuters.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The initiative’s foundation addresses the problem of inconsistent and burdensome reporting by engaging the industry to define an optional (and non-exhaustive) questionnaire aimed at strengthening data quality and consistency while significantly reducing the administrative burden on suppliers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
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Though historians have called for further research before making claims, the proposal of a script rooted in sign language might open the chance to explore a new way of deciphering Mayan art and show the ancient civilization to be even more sophisticated and efficient than scholars even knew.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To resolve this problem, start by pausing the cycle and redistributing the laundry in the drum according to its weight and size.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
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Mike Weiss, current showrunner of mothership FBI, is in talks to add showrunner duties on CIA, sources said, with production pausing during the changeover.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Authorities say Singh was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated after plowing his big rig into slow-moving traffic on the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino County.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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But the images of bulldozers plowing down the East Wing, which has housed the offices of the first lady and others in the White House, has drawn sharp criticism.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In September, Nevada’s Bureau of Water Pollution Control fined the company nearly $250,000 for violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years, including for spilling untreated groundwater onto public roads and not reporting it to authorities, ProPublica first reported.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
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Council President Joe LaCava simply gave a hand-slap to Surf Cup for violating the deed restrictions, granting it the right to continue with commercial use.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Like Grace, who once struggled to find the right fit, her customers are solving the same problem—and the demand is reflected in the sales.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
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Solution for extreme environments Fluid Wire Robotics’ technology provides a major asset for NAAREA by solving the challenge of operating sensitive equipment in hostile zones.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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