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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stops

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in violates

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in damages

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dies

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wears

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in circulates

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bankrupts

to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts another bad investment could break him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in begins

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in veers

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightens

as in lowers

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in surfaces

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in escapes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

That means stress-testing a provider’s reliability before signing anything, not after something breaks. — Nick Chandi, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Fortune Daily breaks the traditional barrier between audience and newsroom. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026 Allowing coaches to help sailors from outside the boat breaks a fundamental rule of sailing. — Andrew Rice, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The Star’s Sam McDowell breaks it all down with his initial thoughts from the game. — Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026 Our full review breaks it down Looking for a pest control company? — Nick Perry, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 Either use a fragile design that loads atoms well but breaks under high heat conditions or a sturdy design that handles heat well but not the atoms. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026 Per the synopsis, the arrival of Ema’s niece, Julie, and the murder of three local teenagers trigger a strange phenomenon that breaks the fragile balance between the living and the dead. — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 As dawn breaks over the misty mangrove creeks winding through Bhitarkanika National Park, the calls of kingfishers and Brahminy kites fill the silence. — Kalpana Sunder, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Sep. 2026

Noun

By the turn of the century, such devices were ubiquitous, joining airbags and antilock breaks as standard safety features. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Sometimes upsets are fluky, with some pivotal breaks going the underdogs' way. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026 When something covered breaks, the company sends a technician to diagnose and handle the repair. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 The best way to explore Rote, with its offshore islands, reefs, and consistent breaks, is by boat. — Michelle Jana Chan, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026 More health and wellness reads for your weekend Amazon punished pregnant workers for taking breaks, this lawsuit alleges. — Sam Woodward, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 The station, however, plans to feature Heat pregame inserts during breaks during the game show that precedes the game broadcast. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 The other characters, on the other hand, don’t catch many breaks. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 Agate Beach is the most popular option, with consistent breaks and a good southwest swell. — Sierra Vandervort, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks

Verb

According to the 2025 Global Sleep Survey by Resmed, a medical device company, 39% of respondents said their partner disrupts their sleep at least once a week.

— Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2026
The 2025 Global Sleep Survey from medical device company Resmed found that 39% of respondents said their partner disrupts their sleep at least once a week.

— Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of disrupts

Verb

Where appropriate, allowing patients to schedule routine appointments also reduces unnecessary back-and-forth with the practice.

— Ajay Prasad, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Rather than mine the archive wholesale, Icons reduces recognizable Borgo signatures to their foundations, preserving the rigor while shifting their expression.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 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

The conversation pauses every few moments to let a J, M, or Z train lumber loudly past us, but also because Green is someone who chooses her words with great care.

— Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2026
Both major candidates in the governor’s race embracing pauses on new data center developments is a likely reflection of Michigan voters' views on the facilities.

— Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of pauses

Verb

Every year, our planet plows through this stream of cometary material, causing tiny fragments — many no larger than a grain of sand — to slam into Earth's atmosphere at around 133,000 mph (214,000 km/h).

— Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Meteor showers tend to put on dazzling celestial shows and happen at predictable times every year when the Earth plows through trails of debris left behind by comets and, sometimes, asteroids.

— Adithi Ramakrishnan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of plows

Verb

The attorney general is authorized to take legal action against anyone who violates this law, which carries potential criminal penalties.

— Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
The Justice Department concluded Friday that the federal government cannot criminally enforce a prohibition on licensed dealers selling handguns to law-abiding adults ages 18-20 because the restriction violates the Second Amendment.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 18 Sep. 2026