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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Relevance
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of breaking
Dennis Romero Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.
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Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
In 2012, most estimates were that breaking a 2048-bit RSA key would require a billion physical qubits.
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Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
So SpaceX is not breaking new ground with Starfall.
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Mike Wall,
Space.com,
23 June 2026
Wesley is charged in Cabarrus County with felony breaking and/or entering, felony larceny after breaking and/or entering, felony conspiracy, and felony possession with intent to distribute Schedule IV narcotics, a warrant reports.
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Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
After breaking free of his mobbing teammates, Reyna ran to the sideline and locked in an emotional embrace with Pochettino, the coach who gave him a second chance, who blocked out the noise as well.
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Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2026
While this entire Monument of Triumph finale was a bit of a Mad Max situation for Destiny 2 developers, now that the final update has launched, Bungie is racing to fix game-breaking balance issues.
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Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Grant Lancaster covers crime, policing and breaking news for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
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Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
The perk here is that the material holds up to cold weather by stretching and expanding without breaking, requiring fewer repairs and resource use.
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Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
In 2012, most estimates were that breaking a 2048-bit RSA key would require a billion physical qubits.
—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
So SpaceX is not breaking new ground with Starfall.
—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
23 June 2026
Wesley is charged in Cabarrus County with felony breaking and/or entering, felony larceny after breaking and/or entering, felony conspiracy, and felony possession with intent to distribute Schedule IV narcotics, a warrant reports.
—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
After breaking free of his mobbing teammates, Reyna ran to the sideline and locked in an emotional embrace with Pochettino, the coach who gave him a second chance, who blocked out the noise as well.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2026
While this entire Monument of Triumph finale was a bit of a Mad Max situation for Destiny 2 developers, now that the final update has launched, Bungie is racing to fix game-breaking balance issues.
—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Grant Lancaster covers crime, policing and breaking news for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
—
Grant Lancaster,
Arkansas Online,
23 June 2026
The perk here is that the material holds up to cold weather by stretching and expanding without breaking, requiring fewer repairs and resource use.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking
Verb
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The shadow fleet, aging tankers and cargo ships that break US sanctions and sabotage subsea cables with impunity, are increasingly disrupting global trade and data flows.
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Britain, Italy and Spain were also sweltering in extreme heat, with record temperatures in some regions disrupting schools and transport networks.
Verb
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And the heat’s not stopping anytime soon.
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Video shows how chase led to deadly crash Instead of stopping, the purple car accelerated and sped through a red light, according to video from Joel’s dashboard camera.
Verb
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This lifts the hull out of the water, reducing hydrodynamic drag and minimizing wake generation.
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On Tuesday, Uzbekistan was soundly thrashed by Portugal 5-0 — significantly reducing the country's chances to qualify for the next round of play in this World Cup, the first ever for a Central Asian nation.
Verb
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An education tent will provide free education and resources regarding topics from deciphering Title IX to end-of-life care and self-advocacy.
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Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.
Verb
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Opponents argue agencies could avoid some of the service cuts officials have warned about by pausing capital improvement projects, including extensions.
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To avoid rage-booking, experts suggest pausing before purchasing, getting a second opinion, and planning travel in advance.
Verb
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Tilling or plowing in the summer disturbs the soil's delicate ecosystem and exposes moist soil to rapid water loss.
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By plowing a chunk of their earnings into repurchases, the companies reduce the number of shares outstanding, which has the effect of boosting earnings per share and ultimately the stock price.
Verb
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Then, in November of 2024, Amazon suspended his account for allegedly violating the company’s product review policies.
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An Idaho man argues in a pair of tort claims that Idaho law enforcement agencies are violating state law by letting an artificial intelligence security company train its algorithm with data collected in Caldwell, Wilder and other cities.
Verb
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Lawmakers called it a major first step toward solving the housing affordability crisis.
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His work transformed computational biology and drug discovery, earning him and Hassabis Nobel Prizes and cementing DeepMind’s reputation as a lab capable of solving grand scientific challenges.
Cite this Entry
“Breaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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