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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broke off
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
The couple broke off their engagement the following June, however.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 23 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
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
The couple broke off their engagement the following June, however.
—Emma Banks, InStyle, 23 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
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The catcher was hitless in his previous 30 at-bats before connecting for his first homer this season Saturday night, a two-run shot in the seventh inning of a 3-2 win that stopped San Diego's six-game losing streak.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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In Pixar’s Cars, the Cozy Cone Motel was inspired by the Blue Swallow Motel, and Bob Dylan even stopped to paint it around 2019.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The entire Pittsburgh area was under a severe thunderstorm watch that has since expired.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The restraining order expired in 2022.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Bolt Threads ceased production of its Mylo leather alternative in 2023, after failing to secure enough funding to reach commercial scale.—
Bella Webb,
Vogue,
11 June 2026
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But when the exhilaration of change had ceased, London was no good.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Zach Neto was hit by a pitch and Mike Trout ended an 0-for-22 slump with a single to load the bases.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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If the season ended Tuesday, Chicago would have the second AL wild-card spot.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
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For the first time, that practice has been halted in 2026.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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Shipping traffic in the vital Strait of Hormuz has effectively halted since the United States and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, 2026.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Verb
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In 2024, Argentine prosecutors concluded there were grounds for launching a criminal investigation into its top South American officials on charges of human trafficking and labor exploitation against 44 women.—
Suman Naishadham,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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But Sorokin, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama, concluded that the fee was not a penalty but a tax that the Republican president lacked any authorization from Congress to issue.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The Forest Service has denied that the pending closures are intended to force workers to quit and has suggested that employees in the facilities being evaluated for shut down would be consolidated into one location in Colorado.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
6 June 2026
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Such events quit being for the common fan a while ago.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The practice was taught and shared openly by prosecutors in the office, the lawsuit claimed, citing one example of a deputy district attorney advocating for Jewish people to be left off juries during a 1992 conference in San Diego.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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Similarly, Enzo Fernandez has also been left off the ‘definitely not for sale list’, albeit Chelsea are not desperate to cash in either.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20off. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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