Synonyms of breaks

breaks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of break

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disrupts
• fractures
• fragments
• destroys
• disintegrates
• splits
• shatters
• reduces
• smashes
• breaks up
• ruins
• bursts
• dismembers
• explodes
• pops
• rives
• blasts
• chips
• cracks
• crushes
• wrecks
• grinds
• detonates
• busts
• pulverizes
• shivers
• atomizes
• powders
• blows up
• implodes
• splinters
• slivers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repairs
• heals
• fixes
• rebuilds
• doctors
• reconstructs
• mends
• renovates
• patches
• reconditions

2

as in stops

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

the final vote broke the deadlock

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stops
• ceases
• ends
• halts
• quits
• breaks off
• suspends
• drops
• delays
• concludes
• lays off
• cuts off
• shuts off
• discontinues
• finishes
• breaks up
• leaves off
• cuts out
• gives over
• knocks off
• packs (up or in)
• has done with
• checks
• desists (from)
• completes
• pauses
• blocks
• cans
• stays
• puts the kibosh on
• closes (down)
• hinders
• holds
• destroys
• stems
• impedes
• obstructs
• suppresses
• deactivates
• ruins
• dissolves
• holds back
• detains
• squelches
• aborts
• turns back
• brakes
• calls
• scuttles
• kills
• abolishes
• blockades
• arrests
• demolishes
• squashes
• reins (in)
• stamps
• clamps down
• stunts
• dams
• snuffs
• annuls
• kiboshes
• stanches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• runs on
• carries on
• progresses
• proceeds
• advances
• drives
• keeps up
• stirs
• follows through (with)
• impels
• propels
• actuates

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduces
• demotes
• degrades
• dismisses
• downgrades
• lays off
• busts
• disrates
• sacks
• downsizes
• fires
• humiliates
• humbles
• cans
• debases
• demeans
• lowers
• abases
• cashiers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advances
• raises
• promotes
• elevates
• hires

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deciphers
• cracks
• translates
• decrypts
• decodes
• solves
• unravels
• renders
• descrambles
• figures out
• unscrambles
• works out
• works
• puzzles (out)
• unriddles
• dopes (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• codes
• encodes
• encrypts
• enciphers
• mixes (up)
• ciphers
• garbles
• jumbles (up)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pauses
• hesitates
• interrupts
• stops
• holds one's horses
• catches one's breath
• breaks in
• ends
• finishes
• ceases
• lays off
• lapses
• terminates
• discontinues
• knocks off
• quits
• lets up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continues
• persists
• advances
• progresses
• extends
• stretches
• prolongs

6

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

• plows
• rakes
• furrows
• cultivates
• tills
• fallows
• harrows
• lists
• rototills
• hoes

7

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

• violates
• breaches
• transgresses
• fractures
• contravenes
• offends
• infringes (on or upon)
• ignores
• disobeys
• disregards
• traduces
• rebels
• neglects
• resists
• flouts
• blows off
• passes over
• scorns
• withstands
• dismisses
• brushes (off)
• defies
• shrugs off
• winks (at)
• tunes out
• overlooks
• pooh-poohs
• slights
• overpasses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follows
• obeys
• observes
• conforms (to)
• minds
• complies (with)
• serves
• yields (to)
• submits (to)
• notices
• hears
• marks
• notes
• surrenders (to)
• attends
• watches
• defers (to)
• listens (to)
• regards
• heeds

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solves
• unravels
• resolves
• answers
• cracks
• figures out
• works out
• works
• deciphers
• riddles (out)
• puzzles (out)
• decides
• concludes
• unriddles
• deduces
• infers
• dopes (out)
• gathers
• reasons
• unties
• straightens (out)
• clears (up)
• presumes
• judges
• speculates
• assumes
• irons out
• guesses
• divines
• decodes
• untangles
• unscrambles
• conjectures

9

as in damages

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

I broke a tooth on the hard candy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damages
• injures
• mars
• weakens
• hurts
• compromises
• erodes
• cripples
• impairs
• harms
• spoils
• destroys
• flaws
• disfigures
• crosses (up)
• undermines
• bloodies
• defaces
• vitiates
• shatters
• blemishes
• deteriorates
• crabs
• ruins
• wounds
• endamages
• wears (away)
• scours
• demolishes
• tarnishes
• smashes
• enfeebles
• batters
• wrecks
• enervates
• blights
• botches
• dents
• tortures
• lacerates
• washes out
• disables
• wipes out
• devastates
• mutilates
• dings
• maims
• pulverizes
• decimates
• torments
• mangles
• annihilates
• clobbers
• bashes
• wastes
• razes
• tears down
• lames
• dints
• desolates
• gums (up)
• hamstrings
• crushes
• queers
• totals
• scourges
• bangs up
• dashes
• does in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• repairs
• rebuilds
• fixes
• reconstructs
• doctors
• mends
• helps
• renovates
• heals
• reconditions
• patches
• revamps
• cures
• rectifies
• rehabilitates
• remedies
• revises
• improves
• edits
• enhances
• enriches
• remodels
• refines
• perfects
• ameliorates
• betters
• meliorates

10

as in dies

to stop functioning

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dies
• fails
• crashes
• stalls
• gives out
• cuts out
• breaks down
• wheezes
• fizzles
• sputters
• conks (out)
• jams
• malfunctions
• acts up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• starts (up)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• retreats
• flees
• flies
• escapes
• runs
• bolts
• runs away
• runs off
• beats a retreat
• beats it
• turns tail
• hightails (it)
• makes tracks
• skedaddles
• bugs out
• skips (out)
• absconds
• gets (away)
• gets out
• elopes
• makes off
• decamps
• clears out
• lams
• lights out
• scrams
• scats
• skirrs
• scarpers
• mizzles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confronts
• defies
• dares
• faces
• remains
• stays
• dwells
• lingers
• braves
• hangs around
• abides
• beards
• sticks around
• tarries

12

as in wears

to use up all the physical energy of

the trek up the mountain just about broke me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wears
• kills
• exhausts
• drains
• tires
• burns out
• harasses
• wearies
• knocks out
• wears out
• busts
• fatigues
• wastes
• outwears
• weakens
• washes out
• frazzles
• tuckers (out)
• saps
• fags
• wears to a frazzle
• does in
• debilitates
• does up
• enfeebles
• enervates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• activates
• strengthens
• energizes
• rests
• relaxes
• invigorates
• rejuvenates
• vitalizes
• unwinds

13

as in circulates

to become known

as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circulates
• spreads
• leaks (out)
• outs
• reveals
• comes out
• gets out
• unfolds
• gets about
• gets around
• gets round
• tells
• transpires
• spills
• develops
• discloses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppresses
• hides
• masks
• conceals
• disguises
• hushes (up)
• secretes

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bankrupts
• ruins
• reduces
• busts
• impoverishes
• wipes out
• cleans (out)
• beggars
• pauperizes
• straitens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enriches
• richens

15

as in begins

to come into existence

the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• begins
• originates
• starts
• commences
• arises
• appears
• is
• emerges
• arrives
• springs
• forms
• exists
• sets in
• engenders
• dawns
• lives
• lasts
• actualizes
• materializes
• breathes
• continues
• survives
• comes on
• subsists
• persists
• shapes (up)
• endures
• coalesces
• coheres

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• stops
• ends
• ceases
• concludes
• finishes
• terminates
• disappears
• halts
• quits
• dissolves
• vanishes
• dies
• evaporates
• expires
• discontinues
• departs
• desists
• perishes
• passes away

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• veers
• cuts
• turns
• wanders
• curves
• swerves
• circles
• bows
• sweeps
• bends
• weaves
• arches
• zags
• zigs
• curls
• sheers
• skews
• yaws
• pivots
• loops
• rounds
• arcs
• twists
• spirals
• winds
• wheels
• coils
• hooks
• deviates
• slews
• crooks
• zigzags
• wavers
• strays
• about-faces

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightens

17

as in lowers

to diminish the price or value of

distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduces
• lowers
• depresses
• attenuates
• shrinks
• sinks
• devalues
• devaluates
• downgrades
• writes off
• marks down
• depreciates
• writes down
• cheapens
• compresses
• debases
• demonetizes
• underestimates
• downsizes
• dwindles
• undervalues
• deflates
• contracts
• lessens
• moderates
• underprices
• underrates
• abridges
• de-escalates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enhances
• appreciates
• upgrades
• inflates
• blows up
• increases
• adds
• extends
• expands
• marks up
• raises
• swells
• ups
• maximizes
• bloats
• augments
• overestimates
• boosts
• enlarges
• amplifies
• heightens
• escalates
• dilates
• multiplies
• compounds
• overvalues
• overrates
• aggrandizes
• overprices
• balloons

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

• exceeds
• surpasses
• outruns
• transcends
• overshoots
• oversteps
• invades
• overreaches
• outreaches
• encroaches
• overruns
• entrenches
• trespasses
• overpasses
• infringes
• overuses
• overdoes
• overworks
• overutilizes

19

as in surfaces

to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below

dolphins were breaking all around the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surfaces
• emerges
• rises
• broaches

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• drops
• plunges
• sinks
• drowns
• dives
• founders
• submerges
• submerses

breaks

2 of 2

noun

plural of break

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pauses
• lulls
• interruptions
• breaths
• rests
• breathers
• recesses
• intervals
• respites
• interludes
• intermissions
• stoppages
• suspensions
• time-outs
• downtimes
• hitches
• interims
• cessations
• discontinuances
• lapses
• gaps
• hiatuses
• endings
• discontinuities
• terminations
• moratoriums
• expirations
• abeyances
• surceases

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• progresses
• continuations
• progressions
• extensions
• persistences
• endurances
• prolongations

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vacations
• holidays
• leaves
• hols
• recesses
• relaxations
• rests
• breathers
• sabbaticals
• intervals
• liberties
• respites
• furloughs
• intermissions
• legal holidays
• feasts
• holy days
• interims

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gaps
• holes
• crevices
• cracks
• intervals
• rents
• voids
• breaches
• openings
• rifts
• discontinuities
• fissures
• interstices
• separations
• hiatuses
• splits
• slits
• slots
• clefts
• fractures
• gulfs
• crannies
• cavities
• pores
• ruptures
• notches
• chinks
• apertures
• chasms
• interspaces
• orifices
• gapes
• abysses
• severances

4

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

• opportunities
• chances
• room
• openings
• occasions
• shots
• plays
• passes
• ways
• junctures

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• accidents
• strikes
• flukes
• strokes of luck
• chances
• luck
• hazards
• circumstances
• haps
• happenstances
• happenchances

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

• escapes
• flights
• routs
• getaways
• slips
• breakouts
• lams
• rescues
• bunks
• liberations
• releases
• redemptions
• close calls
• salvations
• jailbreaks
• deliverances
• close shaves
• near misses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confinements
• imprisonments
• incarcerations
• captivities
• holds
• holdings
• internments
• detentions
• custodies
• troubles
• risks
• immurements
• hazards
• perils
• jeopardies
• retentions
• imperilments
• endangerments

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of breaks

Verb

The acetic acid in vinegar breaks the bond between the dye molecules and the fabric fibers. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 3 May 2026

This guide breaks it down, from longtime institutions to the must-try dishes, along with the history that helps explain why Kansas City barbecue holds such a special place in American food culture. —Taylor Haught, Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026

Your body uses an enzyme called amylase that breaks the alpha bonds to release glucose molecules, which cells break down further to use for energy. —Julie Pollock, The Conversation, 1 May 2026

Of course, that doesn’t mean the company — which is currently under intense financial pressure, probably explaining the whole exasperating situation in the first place — won’t just institute an even more aggravating popup that breaks the site for all users. —Jon Christian, Futurism, 30 Apr. 2026

Each member’s solo era during the hiatus sharpened the read on their personal style sensibilities, and a Met Gala appearance — group or solo — would be the kind of full-circle moment that breaks the internet. —Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2026

When something breaks, an engineer debugs it. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026

The skyrocketing price of DRAM and NAND may be what finally breaks the streak despite strong Galaxy S26 sales. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026

Pringle said that if a person breaks the law in their car and kills someone, that should be charged as a felony. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Noun

There were references to Christian faith and the Magna Carta and — drawing one of the many breaks for applause — supportive words on the crucial tenet of checks and balances. —Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

When the hype cycle breaks, consumers don’t blame the brands. —Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2026

And if the component breaks, guess what? —Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Apr. 2026

That makes sense, given that office workers’ lunchtime and smoke breaks are a major use case for this project. —Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 Apr. 2026

Employees who work 12-hour shifts will now receive two 30-minute breaks instead of one. —Maliya Ellis, Houston Chronicle, 30 Apr. 2026

Kids ages 12 and 13 are only allowed to work during school breaks, holidays and weekends. —Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Ideally, Captify could update the glasses' firmware to display line breaks between spoken sentences more clearly. —Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026

Without any workplace oversight, the baristas did the obvious, padding their breaks by ten, fifteen, twenty minutes. —Saïd Sayrafiezadeh, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026