1
as in ending
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stopping
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking off
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
After breaking off her first engagement with Affleck in 2004, the singer went on to marry singer-songwriter Marc Anthony.
—Ariana Quihuiz, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
An individual was treated for injuries in connection with an incident involving acrylic glass breaking off of a water slide, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson indicated in a statement to Fox News Digital.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025
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
After breaking off her first engagement with Affleck in 2004, the singer went on to marry singer-songwriter Marc Anthony.
—Ariana Quihuiz, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
An individual was treated for injuries in connection with an incident involving acrylic glass breaking off of a water slide, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson indicated in a statement to Fox News Digital.
—Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking off
Verb
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Slated to be the Lions’ top reserve cornerback this season, Rakestraw was placed on season-ending IR in August.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Air traffic controllers played a key role in ending the last government shutdown, which stretched on for 35 days, from December 2018 to January 2019.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That suit, which Lukenbill’s attorneys Brad Carroll and Michael Laino filed July 11, was primarily concerned with stopping efforts by the city to limit occupancy at the bar.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Chappell Roan’s new hair color Based on reviews of the New York shows, KC audiences should expect show-stopping moments, a new hair color for the famous redhead, an emotional speech of thanks and perhaps a special guest.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The site must be decommissioned within 60 years of the plant ceasing operations.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
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The university also asks the court to order online marketplaces, payment processors and other companies that do business with the defendants from disabling and ceasing to provide services.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There is an expiring window, the desire to go deeper than the second round and enough holes on the roster to justify a big push by deadline day.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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With agency closures stretching to a week, Democrats anticipate that the GOP rank-and-file will become more willing to negotiate an extension of expiring ACA subsidies that would help end the shutdown.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The year Goldberg-Polin and her family arrived in Israel, the country launched Operation Cast Lead, a massive military operation aimed at halting intensifying Hamas mortar, missile and rocket fire terrorizing southern Israeli communities.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Attorneys for the Justice Department argued that halting the reallocations could delay distributing the funds to other states DHS had identified as higher priority under its new approach.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Europalia Españe 2025 Festival runs for four months, concluding in January 2026.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
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Two lower courts threw out the lawsuit after concluding that the congressman lacked standing -- or the legal right to bring a lawsuit -- because the plaintiffs could not prove the policy harmed them.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Across town, the Elk River could surround CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital, cutting off all exits.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement In filmmaker Tobe Hooper's slasher classic, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface's penchant for cutting off his victims' faces and wearing them as masks was apparently inspired by Gein's own macabre habits.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Burton is one of over a dozen people who have been arrested on suspicion of helping the escapees, including another inmate in the jail and a jail maintenance worker who is accused of shutting off water to the toilet allowing escapees to remove it.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Oct. 2025
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Although SoCal Edison can prevent electrical fires by shutting off the power that flows through the lines, the utility did not turn the power off to most circuits that power Altadena.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20off. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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