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
During the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, engineers discovered more than 100 locations on the Orion heat shield that had cracked and broken off during reentry.
—
Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
It’s been stolen and recovered, had its nose broken off, and for 20 years the city stored it away for safety, which rather defeats the point of public statuary.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Firefighters found that the beam had broken off and toppled, throwing the workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside a concrete formwork platform.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Photos provided by James showed a football-sized black rock that appeared to be broken off a larger chunk of material.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
By the time glacial ice from the era receded and temperatures warmed enough for the ectotherms, Ireland had broken off from the European continent and was inaccessible to roaming reptiles.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Like Andrew, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also claimed to have broken off contact with Epstein—in his case, in 2005, after seeing Epstein’s massage room in New York—but the files revealed that the association continued for many years afterward.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The same tip had already broken off during an act of vandalism in 2016, Rome’s city hall said.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
It’s been stolen and recovered, had its nose broken off, and for 20 years the city stored it away for safety, which rather defeats the point of public statuary.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Firefighters found that the beam had broken off and toppled, throwing the workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside a concrete formwork platform.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Photos provided by James showed a football-sized black rock that appeared to be broken off a larger chunk of material.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 22 Mar. 2026
By the time glacial ice from the era receded and temperatures warmed enough for the ectotherms, Ireland had broken off from the European continent and was inaccessible to roaming reptiles.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Like Andrew, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also claimed to have broken off contact with Epstein—in his case, in 2005, after seeing Epstein’s massage room in New York—but the files revealed that the association continued for many years afterward.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
The same tip had already broken off during an act of vandalism in 2016, Rome’s city hall said.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken off
Verb
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The shipping disruption also largely stopped the export of nitrogen fertilizers manufactured in the Persian Gulf and limited access to key fertilizer ingredients.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Eventually, Betty stopped and squatted.—
Gabriel Debenedetti,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Jags ended the season with a 34-6 record and as District 8-5A champions.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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The ordinance was proposed by Legislative Vice Chair Sean Smith, who recently ended his bid for Congress.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Kings had their five-game winning streak halted.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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But Rene faced this uphill climb with the same indomitable spirit that defined her, filling her days with smiles, prayers, good deeds and with adventures, especially after tests offered up hope that the disease had been halted.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The payments ceased when the judge in the Skaggs family’s civil case made a pre-trial ruling that both sides must accept Kay’s conviction and the facts established in his criminal proceedings.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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In 1903, a vicious winter storm reduced most of the piers to splinters, and by 1906 offshore oil production at Summerland had all but ceased.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Then, the livestream abruptly cuts off.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as a great deal of shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Thirty Years’ War, which was concluded by the Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, spread across mainland Europe and killed some eight million people.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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At the time, the Justice Department concluded that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence lacked jurisdiction over allegations involving a president’s private conversations with a fellow head of state.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Georgia Public Service Commission has approved a plan to temporarily protect TSA workers in the state from having their utilities shut off or late fees charged during the partial federal government shutdown.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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It was built to prioritize home heating assistance – not cooling – and help for people in immediate danger of having life-preserving utilities shut off.—
Diana Hernández,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For now, gone are the days of a seven-deep Knicks rotation under Thibodeau that forced Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Hart to log heavy minutes.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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But Edmonton has gone 6-1-1 over the past eight games to move into first place in the Pacific Division.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20off. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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