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
The Democratic Caucus said the fines are being assessed under rules enacted in 2023 specifically to punish Texas House Democrats for breaking quorum in 2021, when members left the state for 38 days to block GOP voting restrictions.
—
S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
None of this was breaking news.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
The company has already done about 200 live events, including two Christmas Day NFL games and that jaw-breaking sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul by former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Why stop the rule-breaking there?
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
European stocks broadly fell on Monday, while safe-haven assets gold and silver shot up to hit new highs, just days after breaking previous records.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
Mirna Alsharif Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Last year, the council deadlocked on several issues—from appointments to financial decisions, including the city budget—when interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves was unable to cast a tie-breaking vote during her short term.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
None of this was breaking news.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026
The company has already done about 200 live events, including two Christmas Day NFL games and that jaw-breaking sixth-round knockout of Jake Paul by former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Why stop the rule-breaking there?
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
European stocks broadly fell on Monday, while safe-haven assets gold and silver shot up to hit new highs, just days after breaking previous records.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2026
Mirna Alsharif Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 20 Jan. 2026
Last year, the council deadlocked on several issues—from appointments to financial decisions, including the city budget—when interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves was unable to cast a tie-breaking vote during her short term.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking
Verb
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Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting plans for thousands of travelers during a busy holiday weekend and in a region that experts say is among the most popular for travelers this time of year.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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One woman, Trish, told CBS News the fear was already disrupting daily life amid an influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Instead of stopping to help the victim, the driver continued in an unknown direction.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The last time Netflix disclosed subscriber figures, at the end of 2024, the streamer counted more than 300 million global subscribers, far ahead of rivals like Disney+, before stopping subscriber disclosures altogether.—
Allie Canal,
NBC news,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The plant will focus on advanced packaging, which involves combining multiple memory chips into a single, high-density unit to improve performance and energy efficiency while reducing overall size.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
13 Jan. 2026
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The team achieved a 20 percent reduction in turbine weight per megawatt compared to the industry average, assisting with installation while also reducing costs.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By building out a picture of the whales’ health, habits and diet, researchers are deciphering the many ways humans impact their lives and guiding conservation actions that may mean life or death for the orcas.—
Kelso Harper,
Scientific American,
16 Dec. 2025
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By uncovering these complex vocal structures, this research marks a crucial step in deciphering the meaning behind sperm whale communication.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Industry lobbyist organization NetChoice is also opposing Indiana's bill and has filed several lawsuits striking down or pausing these kinds of laws in the past.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Yankees recently resumed interviewing candidates after pausing over the holidays.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Facebook and Instagram parent has vowed to continue plowing money into AI this year after spending $75 billion on it last year, forecasting bigger capital costs that could outpace revenue growth (and investors’ patience).—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
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However, plowing through a thick blanket of snow, which inevitably hides everything beneath it, naturally comes with some risk, and many homeowners’ mailboxes are the first thing to take a direct hit.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The plaintiffs asked the judge to issue a temporary restraining order, claiming that the ICE surge and raids are continuously violating the rights of citizens.—
Esme Murphy,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement.—
Hayley Walker,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Velasquez believes a less divisive post-Trump era will lead to more Republicans at the local, state, and federal levels, and a more balanced approach to solving issues.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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These are solvable problems, but solving them consistently requires leadership and accountability.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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