BREAKS Synonyms: 709 Similar and Opposite Words

breaks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of break

as in disrupts

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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as in stops

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the final vote broke the deadlock

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as in reduces

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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as in deciphers

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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as in pauses

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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as in plows

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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as in violates

to fail to keep had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone

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as in solves

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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as in damages

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of I broke a tooth on the hard candy

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as in dies

to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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starts (up)

as in retreats

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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as in wears

to use up all the physical energy of the trek up the mountain just about broke me

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as in circulates

to become known as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

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as in bankrupts

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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as in begins

to come into existence the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

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as in veers

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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straightens

as in lowers

to diminish the price or value of distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

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as in exceeds

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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as in surfaces

to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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breaks

2 of 2

noun

plural of break

as in lulls

a momentary halt in an activity there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in

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as in vacations

a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended most of the students at the boarding school are going home for Christmas break

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as in gaps

an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge) the rancher repaired the break in the fence where the horse had gotten through

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as in opportunities

a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place in classic fashion, her big break came when, as an understudy, she took over for an ailing star

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as in accidents

an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life

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as in escapes

the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a desperate break from that hellhole

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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 breaks

Verb

What breaks is the process, because it wasn't designed intentionally. — Muhammad Usman Qamar, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 From the very first confessional in episode one, Schroeder breaks the fourth wall by stopping mid-interview to have a conversation with the producers about which footage to show. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 28 July 2026 If Blount accomplished that as his team breaks before the start of the fall semester, that is it. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026 And enigmatic quarterbacks who have flashed in the past but are hoping their new situation is the one where everything breaks right. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 22 July 2026 The latest update breaks the numbers down by gender for the first time, and young women in the Canaries sample do show weaker employment growth than young men in the same 22-to-25 age bracket. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 July 2026 In a nice touch, the service breaks things up with artist interviews, live performances, and themed artist takeovers. — Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 20 July 2026

Noun

Suarez has said his plan would also mark a departure from what’s become common practice on the Beach for new construction where developers request variances and other breaks for projects. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 First, get rid of the hydration breaks; just go to a true quarters system. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026 In using the hydration breaks as an opportunity to air a few minutes of extra commercials per half, Fox’s World Cup coverage has been classified as an entirely separate entity from Telemundo’s traditional ad-free presentation. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 July 2026 Sarnecki, who has regularly lambasted his fellow candidates as career politicians, has criticized Masterson for failing to provide property tax breaks for homeowners while approving tax breaks for businesses. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026 Both collections appear on multiple rosters this week, while two older titles return to the genre list and another breaks back into its top 10. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Soli said several heat safety measures are in place, including mandatory hydration breaks during games, additional hydration stations and medical staff on every field who will monitor conditions and shorten games by five to ten minutes a half. — Ubah Ali, CBS News, 14 July 2026 Even a handful of movement breaks is enough to make a real difference. — Angela Haupt, Time, 14 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks

Verb

The pipeline has played a key role in moving Saudi oil exports to market as Iran disrupts the Strait of Hormuz with attacks on tankers.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 30 July 2026
The election law, enacted in July last year by the previous military government, imposes punishments of up to the death penalty for anyone who opposes or disrupts elections.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of disrupts

Verb

Sterling that migrates from bank deposits into stablecoin reserves stops funding mortgages and business lending, and a fast-growing coin could pull deposits out of the banking system quicker than banks could adjust.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Staff would be expected to evacuate patients in the event of a major tremor, but the plan stops there, according to Bubenek.

— Andrei Popoviciu, The Dial, 21 July 2026

Definition of stops

Verb

The airborne method also reduces long scheduling times at specialized facilities by finishing tests in one flight.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a car crash by 45 percent in passenger cars and 60 percent in pickup trucks.

— Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 July 2026

Definition of reduces

Verb

Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2025
With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.

— Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 18 Sep. 2025

Definition of deciphers

Verb

In reality, remediation still pauses while security teams validate results, IT schedules maintenance windows or multiple stakeholders approve deployment.

— Deepak Kumar, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
In her acknowledgments, Jacobsen pauses to remind her readers that her tale’s painstaking realism is just a literary device.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Definition of pauses

Verb

In relatively good health, Jennett still drives to lunch with friends, does her own housekeeping and grocery shopping, and plows through a book a day, usually a mystery.

— Paula Span, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
For observers fortunate enough to experience even a partial eclipse during the day, the evening offers an entirely different spectacle as Earth plows through one of the densest parts of Comet Swift-Tuttle’s debris stream.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of plows

Verb

The technology has its proponents who laud its investigative power, while opponents call it a mass surveillance system that violates privacy and civil liberties.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
The lawsuit argues that the commission's position violates state law and the Wisconsin Constitution's guarantees of the right to vote and equal protection under the law.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of violates

Cite this Entry

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“Breaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of breaks

verb

noun

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