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 disrupted
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as in ended
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as in demoted
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as in deciphered
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as in paused
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as in plowed
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as in violated
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as in solved
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as in damaged
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as in died
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as in retreated
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as in wore
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as in circulated
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as in ruined
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as in began
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as in veered
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as in reduced
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as in exceeded
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as in surfaced
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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 impoverished
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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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
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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
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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as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
too broke to afford even a used car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disrupted
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 ended
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 demoted
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 deciphered
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 paused
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 plowed
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 violated
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 solved
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 damaged
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 died
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in retreated
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 wore
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 circulated
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
14
as in ruined
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 began
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
16
as in veered
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 reduced
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 exceeded
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
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
Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
What issue will have preoccupied both managers during the break?
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
So to invest in a broke company is beyond me.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized.
—Jasmine Baehr , Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
Adjective
Reunion shows often have a vital, go-for-broke spirit, and this movie does too, in the sweetest possible way.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
So to invest in a broke company is beyond me.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
When Stuckmann's campaign broke a record, Flanagan reached out again with congratulations, a moment that would lead him to offer notes on the edit, sound mixing, sound design, score, and other aspects of postproduction.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
California broke the law and now three people are dead and two are hospitalized.
—Jasmine Baehr , Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Noun
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Lawrence also took another two-year pause after the release of raunchy comedy No Hard Feelings (2023) before taking on a new project, Die My Love.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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While earnings season has helped fill the information void, this pause in government data comes at a uniquely unfortunate time, given questions about the health of the labor market and inflationary pressures during the trade war.—
Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That left the vacation-friends spatter-fest Speak No Evil to provide Blumhouse’s only positive cash flow for the year.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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At the beginning of August, the Jonas Brothers singer shared a series of photos on his Instagram from his beach vacation with Chopra Jonas and Malti.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Nopales, like cruciferous vegetables such as kale, collards, and arugula, are rich in calcium and can help fill this nutrient gap.—
Barbie Cervoni,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
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That's an enormous gap, but what other team has a better claim as the league's 11th-best?—
Chase Goodbread,
The Tuscaloosa News,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With yet another title opportunity against Stratton, some believe that now may finally be the time for Cargill to win the top female prize on the blue brand.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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The couple spent time together in Costa Rica with their daughter in July, and a source shared that the trip gave the on-off pair an opportunity to reconnect.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the film, a tragic accident sends Kenna (Monroe) to prison and causes the death of her boyfriend Scotty (Outer Banks star Rudy Pankow).—
Benjamin VanHoose,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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The Pitch Perfect star recently looked back on how a brutal cement truck accident abruptly altered his plans for the future, and how going through puberty shortly thereafter altered them yet again.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The plane's inflatable escape slide was deployed, and the nose and tail sections of the plane separated.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Culture Minister Rachida Dati later told TF1 that the gang broke into the Galerie d’Apollon — a sumptuous room on the first floor of the Petite Galerie that has housed the French crown jewels since 1887 — and that a piece of jewelry was recovered during the escape.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The United Nations predicts the cost of reconstruction in the impoverished territory is a staggering $70 billion.—
NPR,
NPR,
16 Oct. 2025
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Set within the League of Legends universe, the Netflix series follows sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war between the impoverished undercity of Zaun and the futuristic, wealthy city of Piltover.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, an early burst of winter storms was expected, with a lull of snow in the mid-winter season, then a resurgence in the late months of winter.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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For instance, why did the offense experience so many extended lulls against opposing bullpens (even as, in another contradiction, its overall performance against bullpens was in line with 2024)?—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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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