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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
17
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The organization breaks the benefits into four areas.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Of all the director's work, this ending still breaks your heart the most.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), an awkward music store clerk who breaks a mysterious object called the One Wish Willow to make his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him—only for the wish to come at a sinister cost.
—Olivia Tauber, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
But cash flow rarely breaks from one event.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The solution breaks apart dirt and grease molecules and evaporates quickly to leave windows streak-free.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
In the end, McGinniss’s new team breaks his heart, as all your rooting interests in sports eventually will.
—Leander Schaerlaeckens
june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026
There will be hydration breaks during games and special rules that take effect if the on-field temperature exceeds 32°C (90°F).
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Believe it or not, some scientists say hydration breaks should be longer.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 20 June 2026
What is obvious is that the only thing as dishonest as FIFA’s insistence that the breaks are only because of its concerns about players’ health is FIFA’s claiming that the stoppages don’t impact matches.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 19 June 2026
In response to concerns about extreme heat, FIFA implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of temperatures or whether stadiums are enclosed or air conditioned.
—Dorany Pineda, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Three-minute hydration breaks are mandatory regardless of the weather.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 19 June 2026
The crews are working to create a network of vegetation-free pathways, called fuel breaks, that can slow fires and give firefighters strategic access to wildlands to combat blazes.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
As for the players, FIFA this year has implemented mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks at the midpoint of each half — regardless of temperature conditions.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
The dam breaks, and Regina splits into laughter at Jobim’s deadpan devolution into nonsense.
—Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
Who is responsible when a robot breaks something or injures someone?
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The organization breaks the benefits into four areas.
—Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Of all the director's work, this ending still breaks your heart the most.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), an awkward music store clerk who breaks a mysterious object called the One Wish Willow to make his coworker Nikki (Inde Navarrette) fall in love with him—only for the wish to come at a sinister cost.
—Olivia Tauber, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
But cash flow rarely breaks from one event.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The solution breaks apart dirt and grease molecules and evaporates quickly to leave windows streak-free.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 12 June 2026
In the end, McGinniss’s new team breaks his heart, as all your rooting interests in sports eventually will.
—Leander Schaerlaeckens
june 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Noun
In the director’s view, fragmented editing breaks emotional continuity; an unbroken take mirrors the uninterrupted flow of lived experience.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 June 2026
There will be hydration breaks during games and special rules that take effect if the on-field temperature exceeds 32°C (90°F).
—Arthur L. Kellermann, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
Believe it or not, some scientists say hydration breaks should be longer.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 20 June 2026
What is obvious is that the only thing as dishonest as FIFA’s insistence that the breaks are only because of its concerns about players’ health is FIFA’s claiming that the stoppages don’t impact matches.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 19 June 2026
In response to concerns about extreme heat, FIFA implemented three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half regardless of temperatures or whether stadiums are enclosed or air conditioned.
—Dorany Pineda, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Three-minute hydration breaks are mandatory regardless of the weather.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 19 June 2026
The crews are working to create a network of vegetation-free pathways, called fuel breaks, that can slow fires and give firefighters strategic access to wildlands to combat blazes.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
As for the players, FIFA this year has implemented mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks at the midpoint of each half — regardless of temperature conditions.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks
Verb
-
Elizalde’s model at Viva disrupts the way business has been done in the past.—
Karen Idelson,
Variety,
16 June 2026
-
Papercut disrupts that, if only momentarily.—
Sheldon Pearce,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The closest Metra stops to the Obama Presidential Center are on the Metra Electric Line, which also makes stops at McCormick Place and Millennium Park.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Yamal stops at Walmart before the World Cup.—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Verb
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This degrades your brake system’s stopping power, which reduces the overall safety of your vehicle.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
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While magnesium may support a healthy heart, there is no clear evidence that taking magnesium supplements reduces your risk of heart disease or regulates your blood pressure.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
18 June 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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As the Air Force pauses flight test operations at the base, the investigation is expected to focus heavily on the aircraft's takeoff, looking for potential engine failures or controllability issues.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
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Then Jaimoe pauses, flashes a quick, playful grin, and rolls his right pant leg up to his knee.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The conservative Pacific Research Institute plows the same economic ground in a report.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Each April, Earth plows through its dusty trail — tiny grains burning up in the atmosphere at around 30 miles per second.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Following a review of this emerging type of residential rental activity, City officials determined that renting a private residential pool to a third party violates zoning regulations governing single-family residential properties.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
The injunction, which applies to restrooms, comes a few months after six transgender Idaho residents filed a lawsuit alleging the law violates the constitutional rights of transgender people and puts their safety and well-being at risk.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Replacing natural sand with coal waste solves two environmental headaches at once.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
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This ordinance solves a problem that doesn’t exist.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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