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 ended
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 broken off
The video sees Strelow attempt to reattach the medal before realizing — like Johnson — that the small clasp connecting the medal to the ribbon had broken off as well.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The tip of the knife blade was broken off.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
After that mission, NASA found chunks of the heat shield had broken off, leaving divots in the charred Avcoat material.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Parents should look for a toy that is sturdy and does not have too many small parts that can get lost or broken off.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Firefighters discovered that a cap beam atop a pillar had broken off and toppled, throwing six workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside the concrete form work platform, Sanchez said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The tooth could have broken off at different levels possibly leaving part of the crown or the root.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
There was a piece of grass in the same cornea — not embedded in the scar tissue, but broken off in the healthy cornea beside it.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2025
Each cutting should have 2 to 5 leaf segments and be clipped off with clean shears or scissors or gently broken off with your fingers between two leaf segments.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The tip of the knife blade was broken off.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 3 Feb. 2026
After that mission, NASA found chunks of the heat shield had broken off, leaving divots in the charred Avcoat material.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
Parents should look for a toy that is sturdy and does not have too many small parts that can get lost or broken off.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2026
Firefighters discovered that a cap beam atop a pillar had broken off and toppled, throwing six workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside the concrete form work platform, Sanchez said.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
The tooth could have broken off at different levels possibly leaving part of the crown or the root.
—Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
There was a piece of grass in the same cornea — not embedded in the scar tissue, but broken off in the healthy cornea beside it.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2025
Each cutting should have 2 to 5 leaf segments and be clipped off with clean shears or scissors or gently broken off with your fingers between two leaf segments.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken off
Verb
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That has not stopped him from being a frequent guest on cable and network television.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Only recently had many countries stopped treating solo female travelers as a problem to be managed, no longer refusing them hotel rooms when traveling without a man, or denying them credit cards to pay for it.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As soon as our interview ended, the seven idols disappeared to change outfits for an evening rehearsal, and returned minutes later, slurping down steaming cups of ramyeon.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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His night ended amid a storm of laughing students and obscene gestures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Federal agencies halted overdose-surveillance networks, delayed youth smoking data, scaled back food-safety pathogen monitoring and purged transgender health information from websites.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Lumley said the progress of the bill halted in 2025 due to conflicts with some of the agricultural groups in the state.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As nearly every country in Europe has significantly reduced or entirely ceased Russian energy imports, Hungary — an EU and NATO member — has maintained and even increased its supply of Russian oil and gas since Moscow launched its war in Ukraine in February 2022.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Oil imports from Venezuela have ceased since Washington toppled its leader last month, cutting Cuba’s main source of energy.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Washington has upped pressure in a bid to replace Havana’s communist regime, cutting off oil shipments and, by extension, the economy.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
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First responders cut off her camo shorts to care for her that day, and a photo of the shorts was shown in court.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thousands of nurses at local Kaiser Permanente facilities have been striking for more than three weeks, while more than 3,000 Kaiser pharmacy and lab employees concluded a three-day strike last week.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
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In August 2025, a judge concluded that Vedam had not been given a fair trial due to prosecutors’ efforts to suppress evidence.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The sheriff's office says the ammonia source was shut off to the building and air quality readings were determined to be safe.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Feb. 2026
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However, Hernandez, who drove a Toyota Corolla Hybrid, was reportedly unaware of a safety feature designed to automatically shut off the engine after one hour.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But nothing has gone as planned.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
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And McDonald’s has gone upscale in the Valentine's Day offers game, encouraging folks to top its Chicken McNuggets with caviar with a giveaway.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20off. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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