break 1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈbrāk How to pronounce break (audio)
Definition of breaknext
1
as in to disrupt
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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2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end the final vote broke the deadlock

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3
as in to reduce
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 to decipher
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 to pause
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
as in to plow
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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7
as in to violate
to fail to keep had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone

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8
as in to solve
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 to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of I broke a tooth on the hard candy

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10
as in to die
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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11
as in to retreat
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 to wear
to use up all the physical energy of the trek up the mountain just about broke me

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13
as in to circulate
to become known as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

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14
as in to ruin
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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15
as in to begin
to come into existence the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

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16
as in to veer
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 to depress
to diminish the price or value of distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

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18
as in to exceed
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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19
as in to surface
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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break

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
as in pause
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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2
as in vacation
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 gap
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
as in opportunity
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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5
as in accident
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 escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement a desperate break from that hellhole

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breaks

3 of 4

verb (2)

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

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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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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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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10
as in dies
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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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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13
as in circulates
to become known as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

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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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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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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

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19
as in surfaces
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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breaks

4 of 4

noun (2)

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

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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
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
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

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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 break
Verb
Serving for the set at 5-4, Sabalenka couldn’t finish off Gauff, who saved two set points and finally broke Sabalenka on her fifth chance. —Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025 Economists predicted that the United States would break free of its long-running housing slump in 2025. —Luke Broadwater Eric Schmitt Glenn Thrush Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Noun
The Face the Nation preview was aired during the show, not during an advertising break. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025 Beyond the surf breaks and world-class sunsets, Hawaii has a complex story. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for break

Phrases Containing break

Browse Nearby Words

breadths
break
breakable
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Cite this Entry

“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on break

Nglish: Translation of break for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about break

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