1
as in stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ends
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of breaks off
State officials compared the project to Boise’s Flying Wye, where the I-184 Connector breaks off from I-84 west of downtown Boise.
—
Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Mahama breaks off in exasperation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The scene where ‘80s teen Marty McFly borrows a scooter from a bewildered ‘50s kid and breaks off the handles to make a skateboard is one of the film’s most iconic moments.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
Second, the flowing glacier brings more ice forward to replace what breaks off, slowing the cliff’s inland retreat and making a chain reaction of cliff toppling less likely.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026
Mahama breaks off in exasperation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The scene where ‘80s teen Marty McFly borrows a scooter from a bewildered ‘50s kid and breaks off the handles to make a skateboard is one of the film’s most iconic moments.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2025
Second, the flowing glacier brings more ice forward to replace what breaks off, slowing the cliff’s inland retreat and making a chain reaction of cliff toppling less likely.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks off
Verb
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The new order stops future imports but does not affect devices already in use across the country.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
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But think the beauty of that storytelling is as crazy and frenetic as all of that is, as soon as those two meet, everything stops.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The move will allow TSA employees to get their paychecks as early as March 30 instead of waiting for back pay after the shutdown ends.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Loose ends and compelling payoffs await after a subdued and slow-ish first frame that struggles with a balance between dark brooding and uneven lull.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The search for help rarely, if ever, actually ceases.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
-
At these conditions, atomic and molecular motion ceases.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Mavericks plan to move into a new arena when their lease with the American Airlines Center expires in 2031.—
Eric Prisbell,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Wilson's term representing Ward 2 in the city expires in January 2027.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Global oil prices have spiked as Iran halts traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
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Debt consolidation does not carry a legal mechanism that immediately halts wage garnishment the way bankruptcy does, at least not in most forms.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some questions may be adapted into full columns, and transcripts of the chats remain available after each session concludes.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Round 1 begins April 9 and the tournament concludes on April 12.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Turning your phone off or using airplane mode cuts off wireless communication while still allowing alarms to work.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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The drug cuts off access to vitamin A in the testes by blocking a receptor known as RAR alpha.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through it, but attacks on ships have stopped nearly all tanker traffic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
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Roughly one-fifth of global daily oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow corridor along Iran’s coastline that has become a critical pressure point in the current conflict.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20off. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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