breaking off

Definition of breaking offnext
present participle of break off
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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breaking off Vrabel first held a press conference at a podium inside the Indiana Convention Center before breaking off into a less formal side session with local reporters later. Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026 While that thankfully hasn't been the case this year, the county did have a hit-and-run involving a semi breaking off a snowplow mirror. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026 In that unlikely scenario, there would be a risk of debris breaking off the asteroid and hitting Earth. Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026 Once enough cars have sped over these fissures, chunks begin breaking off to create those infamous potholes that pop tires and ruin shocks. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025 Weiss made a career for herself as an op-ed staff editor at The New York Times before breaking off from the mainstream publication in 2020 and launching the Free Press. Antonio Ferme, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025 Lopez and Affleck, one of the quintessential pop culture couples of the early 2000s, famously rekindled their romance in 2021 and wed the following year, two decades after breaking off their first engagement in late 2002. Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025 After breaking off the engagement, Cochran said, Glison had moved to the apartment complex to get away from him. Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025 Johnson then carried the ball on the last four plays, breaking off carries of eight, nine and 10 yards. Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking off
Verb
  • Talarico’s victory marks a preliminary triumph for Democrats who argued that the path to ending the party’s 32-year statewide losing streak runs through coalition-building.
    Nik Popli, Time, 4 Mar. 2026
  • With Monday evening performances canceled and piles of snow keeping pedestrians and drivers at bay, total grosses fell to $26,036,589 for the week ending March 1, down from $32M the previous week.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • After Elmarko Jackson’s flagrant foul stopping a dunk in transition — the play was called a common foul but quickly upgraded to a flagrant-one — the Jayhawks and Sun Devils came together.
    Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026
  • The car seemed to struggle to merge left into a turn lane, stopping about 30 feet short of the intersection and blocking a lane of traffic.
    Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The White House budget chief’s reported aversion to seeing the deficit widen further on the back of a bigger military bill highlights a phenomenon observed by historian Niall Ferguson, who has said any great power that spends more on debt servicing than on defense risks ceasing to be a great power.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Please keep praying without ceasing.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Middleton is in the final months of his expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, which gives him the opportunity to negotiate a new contract with the Mavericks or sign with a new team.
    Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Pittsburgh has basically turned Jarry into Stuart Skinner’s expiring contract, Girard and two second-round picks.
    Harman Dayal, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The children of these parents will be more likely to go to college and succeed in a career themselves, halting generational cycles of poverty.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Asian markets fell sharply, with South Korea’s stock exchange briefly halting trading.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The unusually blunt readout underscores what could be a long enmity between the region and Tehran, with Arab Gulf states concluding that Iran’s drones, missiles, and proxies — essentially the regime itself — pose a regional threat.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Brooks then moved over to Bold in 2013 to play the strong-willed playboy Wyatt Spencer, earning another Emmy nod in 2021 and concluding his run in 2024.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The United Arab Emirates is considering cutting off Iranian access to billions of dollars held in the Gulf state, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
  • And people very quickly begin to think about cutting off electricity, cutting off water, damage to their cities.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Slip on an eye mask and feel your way through a wall of surprise elements like robber gorilla hands, fuzzy fabric, and sneakers, shutting off one sense and heightening another.
    Liz Regalia, Parents, 3 Mar. 2026
  • Like clockwork, the City of Boston released its annual payroll just before shutting off the lights for the month.
    Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald, 28 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Breaking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20off. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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