break 1 of 4

1
2
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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8
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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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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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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
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
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

broke

3 of 4

adjective

broke

4 of 4

verb (2)

past tense of break
1
2
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

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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

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5
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
8
9
10
as in died
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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11
12
13
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
16
17
18
19
as in surfaced
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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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
Will Porter has spent the past few years breaking back into tennis by taking lessons and playing matches with friends. Will Porter, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025 But an injury put an end to that impressive string of games, as Jovic broke his right hand on Feb. 23 and missed the final 27 games of last regular season. Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Noun
One thing that hasn’t changed coming into the break: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are still the headliners of the season. Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 14 July 2025 Ninety-eight games are enough to get a sense of where the A’s stand heading into the All-Star break. Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Adjective
Really, Song wants to know whether a sensible girl can justify shackling herself to a broke creative. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 Yet the city, which claims it is broke, spent money litigating this and even now is considering appealing this court’s common-sense ruling. U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
Verb
After the news of Zuckerberg’s bunker broke, other one-percenters followed suit. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Dec. 2024 But then the defense broke again on the Blue run. The Athletic College Football Staff, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Noun
  • Decisions are made, the next task appears, and there’s little pause to examine what worked or what missed.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Even though no funding has been cut, Jackson condemned the administration, contending the effect of the pause is going to be massive and could result in North Carolina firing about 1,000 educators.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • At $36, Garten's favorite rosé is a reasonable little luxury that can make a standard Tuesday night feel a little more like summer vacation.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
  • His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Why The Northern Lights Are Being Seen In The U.S. The imminent potential display of aurora is due to a high-speed stream of solar wind coming from a coronal hole — a gap in the sun’s outer atmosphere, its corona, where solar wind escapes more freely into space.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • But, as in James' case, such plans can have gaps in what care is covered, and more comprehensive private plans may be too expensive.
    Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • The 30th anniversary of Java, which the Java community is celebrating this year, offers a perfect opportunity to reflect on the remarkable changes the ecosystem has undergone.
    Alexander Belokrylov, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • For those who saw Varsity’s dominance as a troubling concentration of power—if not an outright antitrust issue—the collegiate space offered a rare opportunity: a chance to build something outside the reach of a deeply entrenched corporate force.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • The accident occurred on July 16 at the Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, according to a press release from the Nassau County Police Department in Long Island.
    Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025
  • The manner of death was listed as accident (unrestrained passenger in car crash), the warrant affidavit said.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • Lake Placid’s renaissance has transformed it into Central Florida's most surprising small-town escape with an unhurried pace and a slice of Americana.
    Rebecca Deurlein, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
  • For Carrington, born in 1917, art was an escape from her genteel, repressive British upbringing.
    Celia Bell July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?
    Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Likewise, food stamps are still going to be provided to the disabled, families with young children, and the impoverished elderly, even if Democrats want to pretend otherwise.
    Frank Miele, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • And far in the distance, whenever there's a lull in the party, an occasional cheer can be heard from Centre Court, less than a quarter-mile away — where some of these lucky campers will be watching world-class tennis the next day.
    Lauren Frayer, NPR, 10 July 2025
  • China’s electric vehicle juggernaut appeared to be easing in Europe but last month new data showed the lull was short-lived.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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