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

One company, ZBiotics, touts a bacteria modified to produce an enzyme that breaks acetaldehyde down. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 Everything breaks, guns go off, an illusionist loses his clothes and jumps fully nude into the crowd — all within the first five minutes. — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Enter Noble Audio’s new flagship FoKus Artemis, a pair of wireless headphones that breaks the innovation logjam. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … FIRST WORDS — Hayden Panettiere's on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson breaks his silence. — FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 The needle goes into the record, and the signal is continuous, and digital, of course, breaks it up into zeros and ones. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026 If David Bowie's on the show, and something goes wrong—perhaps his coffee mug breaks accidentally because it was cracked—that's not a disaster. — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026 The shoreline and break at Seabright Beach are relatively steep, with heavy surf that breaks close to shore, the state parks said. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Noun

The 8-episode series blends workplace comedy with satire, cutaways and fourth-wall breaks. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 The developers would also receive sales tax breaks on construction materials under the Port KC plan. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 For example, instead of running three miles as a response to being frustrated about your fitness goals, try running for just 10 minutes – or run for just two minutes at a time and take walking breaks. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Delivery models that incentivize speed push drivers to skip breaks and cut corners behind the wheel. — Jessica Walker, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026 Summary Apple's iPhone Fold arrives as book-style foldables take 69% of shipments, clamshells collapse, and Samsung's Z Fold 8 breaks pre-order records. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Barber took on most of the responsibility of calling out down-and-distance, setting up the action and going in and out of breaks. — Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Hilton has vowed to use those savings to issue state income tax breaks, calling it an immediate antidote to high costs. — Christine Mai-Duc, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026 Another argument favors sacrificing the long summer break for more frequent shorter breaks staggered throughout the school year. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks

Verb

Montemayor told Campus Insights Media that alcohol disrupts rest at a biological level, fragmenting sleep into short bursts that leave a person feeling drained the following morning.

— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026
Plantation owners and traditional farmers often start fires to clear land for farming at low cost, triggering hazardous haze that reduces visibility, disrupts land and air transportation and threatens public health.

— Muhammad Hatta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disrupts

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 preview began by showing the pair getting caught up in a drug bust, in which Jason pauses to pet a dog on their way into a pickup that ends in a shootout with police.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
The decision essentially pauses a preliminary injunction that granted a fifth season for the upcoming 2026-27 college season and represents a significant legal victory for the NCAA.

— Justin Williams, New York Times, 21 Aug. 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 money could be forfeited if the company violates its contractual agreement.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2026
The students are challenging those actions in federal court, arguing that FIU's policy – and its application to their silent demonstration – violates their First Amendment rights.

— Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of violates

Verb

With just eight percent calcium, the material shows high tunability and solves a problem that has plagued the communications industry for decades.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Leaders should be asking how their own sector traditionally solves a problem, as well as who elsewhere has solved a version of it exceptionally well.

— Jen Fuller, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026