Synonyms of break
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as in to disrupt 
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as in to stop
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as in to reduce
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as in to decipher
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as in to pause
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as in to plow
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as in to violate
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as in to solve
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as in to damage
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as in to die
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as in to retreat
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as in to wear
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as in to circulate
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as in to ruin
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as in to begin
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as in to veer
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as in to depress
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as in to exceed
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as in to surface
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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 pause
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as in vacation
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as in gap
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as in opportunity
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as in accident
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as in escape
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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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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
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Related Articles
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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Relevance
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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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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14
15
as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
17
as in to depress
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in dies
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in wears
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025
News broke of their split in June 2025.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 10 Nov. 2025
Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Rather, Metropolitan evokes the youthful experience of being home, avoiding family, and clinging to friends during the holiday break, when responsibility remains over the horizon and your whole life is still ahead of you.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
However, the trouble starts when governments interfere and tell funds to invest too much at home, which breaks the delicate balance that fund managers have calculated between risk and reward, said Sébastien Betermier, executive director at the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM).
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Others have complained of breaks, tears, contusions, and concussions.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
The government appears to be close to reopening Monday, after eight senators broke ranks with the Democrats and backed a Republican plan to fund most federal agencies through January.
—Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025
News broke of their split in June 2025.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
The segment includes a viral dance break.
—Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Rather, Metropolitan evokes the youthful experience of being home, avoiding family, and clinging to friends during the holiday break, when responsibility remains over the horizon and your whole life is still ahead of you.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
Gold Coast An hour south, the Gold Coast is all contrasts—a skyline of high-rises scraping the sand of some of the world’s best surf breaks.
—Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025
However, the trouble starts when governments interfere and tell funds to invest too much at home, which breaks the delicate balance that fund managers have calculated between risk and reward, said Sébastien Betermier, executive director at the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM).
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Tijuca National Park is also home to Barros’s favorite stretch of sand, Prainha, a small golden sand beach known among surf enthusiasts for its top-notch reef and beach breaks.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Others have complained of breaks, tears, contusions, and concussions.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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