1
as in stopped
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 expired
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broke off
The former couple broke off their seven-year engagement in November 2020.
—
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Courtesy of Rizzotti Advisors The Egadi Islands, off the western coast of Sicily, feel almost untouched, as if the Mediterranean broke off a few fragments and left them in place.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The movie is clearly aimed at a certain audience who watched Saturday morning cartoons back in the day and, if their He-Man figure’s arm broke off, would use Faker as their resident Eternian hero.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026
This year’s season was delayed after a huge section of the icefall broke off and blocked the route to the summit.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
The former couple and Gigli costars met in 2002 while filming the movie and got engaged in November of that same year, but broke off their engagement in January 2004.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
The windstorm from the fans raged until the home eventually broke off from its remaining anchors, rolling completely over not once, but twice.
—Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
As OutKick previously reported, Megan broke off her relationship with the NBA star last week after accusing him of cheating.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 8 June 2026
Courtesy of Rizzotti Advisors The Egadi Islands, off the western coast of Sicily, feel almost untouched, as if the Mediterranean broke off a few fragments and left them in place.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
The movie is clearly aimed at a certain audience who watched Saturday morning cartoons back in the day and, if their He-Man figure’s arm broke off, would use Faker as their resident Eternian hero.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026
This year’s season was delayed after a huge section of the icefall broke off and blocked the route to the summit.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
The former couple and Gigli costars met in 2002 while filming the movie and got engaged in November of that same year, but broke off their engagement in January 2004.
—Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
The windstorm from the fans raged until the home eventually broke off from its remaining anchors, rolling completely over not once, but twice.
—Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
As OutKick previously reported, Megan broke off her relationship with the NBA star last week after accusing him of cheating.
—Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke off
Verb
-
Its domestic league stopped playing.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
-
Big Oil is not backing away from renewables because the energy transition has stopped.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
Verb
-
The company previously had an overall TV deal at Disney, which expired earlier this year.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
The delays come after a ground stop expired at the world's busiest airport.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Communication ceased for 28 years, which is so long that their silence is now constitutionally eligible to be in the House of Representatives.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
The waiting only ceased with the collapse of the regime in 1990.—
Marzio G. Mian,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Both tournaments brought disappointment and his reign as coach ended after being confronted at the team’s hotel in Abidjan by angry supporters.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Fox's paranormal sci-fi series was absolutely beyond its time and still holds up well over a decade after its five-season run ended.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
QatarEnergy is working to restart operations at the facility, which had been halted following the at tack, according to Reuters.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
Iran has said peace talks cannot advance to more substantive issues – such as its nuclear program – until the fighting in Lebanon is halted.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
In a report made public on Monday, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South was triggered in early June 2021 when two connections between garage columns and the condominium’s pool deck failed.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
23 June 2026
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), aka the UK’s data protection watchdog, has now concluded a two-year investigation into the incident and has found that sensitive personal information was indeed deliberately misused.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Yes, some people drank so much that they got fired and hit on random people and drove drunk—those people should obviously quit.—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
-
The Face of the Band Leaves In 1985, strung out from the road and eager to focus on his solo career, Cetera quit Chicago.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Matteo Berrettini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2021, was left off the list despite a quarterfinal appearance at the French Open.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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The ports are the same as the last-gen models, including the Surface Connect magnetic charging port that’s being left off the upcoming Surface Laptop Ultra.—
Antonio G. Di Benedetto,
The Verge,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20off. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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