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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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
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
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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
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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
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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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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
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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
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
The district denied wrongdoing, but that investigation found the district broke the law and that the practice disproportionately affected Black and Latino students.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 28 May 2025
Jay Cannon, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Chances arrived at both ends before the decisive moment, David Silva bouncing a close-range volley over the bar before the break, while Kenwyne Jones toe-poked a shot into a sprawling Joe Hart — Stoke’s only on-target attempt of the game.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
Fake Wedding follows two broke singles who throw a fake wedding to cash in on the registry and the very real problems the make-believe couple encounters.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2025
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
Verb
But that’s not the only thing forcing Li to break his mother’s decree.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
The district denied wrongdoing, but that investigation found the district broke the law and that the practice disproportionately affected Black and Latino students.
—Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 28 May 2025
Noun
Here’s a look at Tuesday, May 27, 2025 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 27 drawing
06-28-34-48-62, Mega Ball: 09
Need a break?
—Jay Cannon, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Chances arrived at both ends before the decisive moment, David Silva bouncing a close-range volley over the bar before the break, while Kenwyne Jones toe-poked a shot into a sprawling Joe Hart — Stoke’s only on-target attempt of the game.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Adjective
The match-up broke ratings records, with nearly 128 million viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 26 Mar. 2025
Fake Wedding follows two broke singles who throw a fake wedding to cash in on the registry and the very real problems the make-believe couple encounters.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Mar. 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
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Storms in the area put the search on pause between 1:30 and 6 a.m. May 26, then crews resumed until Smith was found the next day, officials said.—
Natalie Demaree,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
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What To Know Secretary of State Marco Rubio had signed and sent a diplomatic cable on Tuesday ordering the pause to student visa interviews and outlining a shift in vetting procedures.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Compared to other vacations, cruises are relatively long and expensive and involve many more moving parts — from getting to the departure point to your stay onboard to visiting multiple ports of call (often in foreign countries).—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
1 June 2025
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Eligible benefits might include health insurance coverage, gym memberships, banking plans, commuter and transit benefits, employee discounts, and vacation time.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Their defensemen don’t allow much gap between them and opposing forwards.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2025
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The brand’s bestsellers are the Essential Face Compact, the Lip Compact and the lip pencils, but the gap isn’t a huge one between her other products.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
4 June 2025
Noun
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For example, safe and walkable neighborhoods and opportunities for social connection and lifelong learning – such as through community classes and events – have the potential to reduce stress and promote brain health.—
Jennifer E. Graham-Engeland,
The Conversation,
28 May 2025
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Riley took the opportunity to ask Pitt about the 8-year-long legal battle after his ex-wife, actress Angelina Jolie, first filed for divorce on Sept. 20, 2016.—
Sara Vallone,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
Noun
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There was one fatal accident when a young man in his twenties died in a collision with a vehicle, police chief Laurent Nuñez told reporters, while in the southwestern city of Dax, a 17-year-old died from stab wounds, French media reported.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
1 June 2025
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Dogs can create traffic jams, cause (or worse, have) accidents in narrow aisles, and disrupt delicate plants on display.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Authorities said the woman knew of Massey's escape plans in advance, communicated with him after his escape, and misled authorities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
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In his memoir, Emmett writes that Clinton insisted on running outside of the White House for both the mental escape and to connect with the public.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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During campaign events, Lee, who grew up in an impoverished farming household and toiled in factories as a child, spoke from behind bullet-proof glass to crowds, which were surveyed by rooftop police snipers.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
4 June 2025
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Curtis’ extraordinary talent is first recognized in kindergarten, when a charitable foundation donates instruments to his impoverished public school.—
Joan Gaylord,
Christian Science Monitor,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Fewer Roles And Longer Recruitment Processes The shift from the hiring highs of 2021 to today’s lull has been sharp.—
Nadia Edwards-Dashti,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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The shelter then faced a lull, as previous applicants had already adopted other pets in need, and no immediate matches surfaced that could suit Thor.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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