Synonyms of breaks
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as in disrupts
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as in stops
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as in reduces
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as in deciphers
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as in pauses
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as in plows
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as in violates
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as in solves
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as in damages
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as in dies
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as in retreats
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as in wears
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as in circulates
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as in bankrupts
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as in begins
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as in veers
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as in lowers
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as in exceeds
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as in surfaces
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as in lulls
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as in vacations
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as in gaps
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as in opportunities
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as in accidents
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as in escapes
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Example Sentences
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Entries Near
1
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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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
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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4
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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5
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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6
7
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
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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9
as in damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in dies
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
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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12
as in wears
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
as in circulates
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
15
as in begins
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
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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17
as in lowers
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
18
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
1
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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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3
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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4
5
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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6
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
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Recent Examples of breaks
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Walking breaks us vast neighborhood travelers out of isolation and builds or renews connections.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
God help the first person who breaks her daughter’s heart.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Padilla breaks a few times, channeling Heidi Gardner, and the crowd gets amused.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Mar. 2026
Moore is not that, and there are times when his lack of breakdown or setup steps keeps the defender in his hip pocket as Moore breaks on his route.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The sweetness of the cider vinegar or fruit juice attracts the wasps, and the dishwashing liquid breaks the surface tension of the water.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Enhanced is also paying its athletes quite the prize money — $250,000 for winners, $250,000 for the rest of the pack, and $1 million to anyone who breaks a world record.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most field goals made in the Lakers’ 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Ultrawealthy buyers are now securing spots on private waitlists months—or even years—before a home breaks ground.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Don’t overschedule your trip — kids need some downtime, try to build in breaks.
—Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
During breaks between her testimony and cross-examination on Feb 10, Acree was dry heaving in the witness room off to the side of the courtroom.
—Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Be available to answer questions, validate their feelings, and take breaks if the news feels overwhelming.
—Ella Cerón, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
Meteorologist Amber Lee recommends drinking plenty of water, taking breaks when needed and avoiding outdoor activities during peak hours.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
When Brewer thinks about her son never having a sibling, her heart breaks, too.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
They're instructed to take frequent breaks, said Junior Pineda, a representative with a local unit of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
His forecast could turn out to be correct, even as the price of oil repeatedly breaks $100 a barrel despite efforts from the US and other nations to ease the pain.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Walking breaks us vast neighborhood travelers out of isolation and builds or renews connections.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
God help the first person who breaks her daughter’s heart.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
Padilla breaks a few times, channeling Heidi Gardner, and the crowd gets amused.
—Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Mar. 2026
Moore is not that, and there are times when his lack of breakdown or setup steps keeps the defender in his hip pocket as Moore breaks on his route.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The sweetness of the cider vinegar or fruit juice attracts the wasps, and the dishwashing liquid breaks the surface tension of the water.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Enhanced is also paying its athletes quite the prize money — $250,000 for winners, $250,000 for the rest of the pack, and $1 million to anyone who breaks a world record.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
LeBron James breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most field goals made in the Lakers’ 120-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
At the time, prosecutors said the two guards shopped online, took breaks, and napped instead of checking Epstein’s cell every 30 minutes as required.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Ultrawealthy buyers are now securing spots on private waitlists months—or even years—before a home breaks ground.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Don’t overschedule your trip — kids need some downtime, try to build in breaks.
—Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
During breaks between her testimony and cross-examination on Feb 10, Acree was dry heaving in the witness room off to the side of the courtroom.
—Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Be available to answer questions, validate their feelings, and take breaks if the news feels overwhelming.
—Ella Cerón, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026
Meteorologist Amber Lee recommends drinking plenty of water, taking breaks when needed and avoiding outdoor activities during peak hours.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
When Brewer thinks about her son never having a sibling, her heart breaks, too.
—Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
They're instructed to take frequent breaks, said Junior Pineda, a representative with a local unit of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks
Verb
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At that point, the parasite disrupts brain regions that regulate circadian rhythm, causing patients to become sleepy during the day and awake at night.—
Fran Kritz,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
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Snow disrupts flights at Chicago airports The snow impacted the schedules at O'Hare and Midway international airports on Monday morning.—
Albert Ramon,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The decision stops sweeping changes to childhood vaccine recommendations the federal government made in January, including no longer advising all children be vaccinated against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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The Padres expected there to be starts and stops along with setbacks and surges in bringing Joe Musgrove back from Tommy John surgery this year.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Recycling sports equipment not only keeps it out of landfills, but reduces the need for new equipment to be manufactured, Clarkin said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
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Being up to date on taxes reduces the amount of penalties and interest that builds from waiting.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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True to the spirit of those Russian women, the world pauses on this day to celebrate the achievements of women.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2026
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Transferring your balance to a card that temporarily pauses interest allows more of your payment to go toward the principal instead of financing charges.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police and fire may respond to calls even before snow plows clear city and town streets.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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Property owners move the snow from the sidewalk to the curb, snow plows move the snow from the street to the curb, and the result is a wall of snow and ice.—
Michael Pollack,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The same goes for anyone whose family member violates a rule of the game.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
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And the companies argue that any kind of regulation is going to stop somebody from speaking and therefore violates the First Amendment.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Strengthening the layers Epoch 2 solves the problem of unpredictable missile paths by using high-tech heat sensors and laser communication.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
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Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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