break 1 of 4

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

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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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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)

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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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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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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

breaks

3 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of break
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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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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
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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as in dies
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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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 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
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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
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

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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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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
Jennifer Jolly Special to USA Today The internet didn’t wait long to break OpenAI’s newest toy. Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 And video game spinoffs of the Italian Brainrot cinematic universe have broken all sorts of records on Roblox and Fortnite. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
This includes directing users to professional help, strengthening safeguards on sensitive topics, and encouraging breaks during long sessions. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025 What issue will have preoccupied both managers during the break? Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
This breaks the mirror symmetry, and the weak force is the only force to do it. Paul Sutter, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025 That’s a figure that breaks the previous record for most units in a week by more than a half-million. Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
Officers there developed techniques like arm immersion — lowering soldiers’ arms into cold water during training breaks to reduce body temperature — and ice sheeting, where frozen bed sheets are wrapped around overheated troops to bring down body heat quickly. Ames Alexander, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS MADE IN THE USA – Merck breaks ground on $3B manufacturing plant in Virginia. FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for break

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Cite this Entry

“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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