break·away
ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā 
1
a
: one that breaks away
b
: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)
2
a
: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b
: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3
: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact
1
: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2
: made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3
a
: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b
: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed
broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away
1
: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away
2
: to depart from former or accustomed ways
3
: to pull away with a burst of speed
Examples of breakaway in a Sentence
Adjective
A breakaway faction formed a new party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Field Level Media, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2024
Boston had led 1-0 with 7:48 left in the first period when Pavel Zacha’s charge to the net on a breakaway drew Sergei Bobrvosky to his left and left enough net open for Zacha’s pass to scorer Charlie Coyle at the edge of the crease.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Serbia backs China’s stance that Taiwan is not a sovereign country but a breakaway province, while Beijing supports the Belgrade government’s claim to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
An opponent went for a breakaway, only for Macklin to catch him and knock it away with a dive on his belly.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
Some joined the breakaway conservative Global Methodist Church, while others have remained independent.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 1 May 2024
Georgiev stoned Tyler Toffoli on a breakaway in the second period when the Jets led 2-1 in Game 3.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2024
The Kings’ best chance in the first 30 minutes came early in the second period when a turnover in the neutral zone launched Viktor Arvidsson on a breakaway with only Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner to beat.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The Kings went up 21-12 on two free throws by Ellis and stretched their lead to 10 on a breakaway dunk by Fox.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023
The Alcaraz hype train has been so breakaway NBA stars Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler showed up to watch the Spanish star from the teal seats.
—Marc Berman, ajc, 1 Apr. 2023
Russia is viewed as an enemy by many Georgians, after Moscow backed separatists in the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the 1990s.
—Reuters, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2023
Jerome Kersey followed with a breakaway dunk with 1:17 left and the game was tied at 97-97.
—oregonlive, 28 Apr. 2020
His breakaway power dunks were a highlight of a season that was short on those.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 19 Mar. 2020
Johnson opened the second frame with a steal and a breakaway dunk, electrifying a drowsy crowd that had witnessed only six combined points through the first eight minutes.
—Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, 8 Mar. 2020
Not giving the Chargers a breather, Fern Creek star point guard Jaden Rogers got a steal and a chance for a breakaway dunk.
—David J. Kim, The Courier-Journal, 29 Feb. 2020
Watchmen’s fantastic seventh episode indulges a breakaway gimmick with its own Garden of Eden imagery.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 11 May 2020
Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024
The factional dissenters There’s another group of candidates whose demands do mostly align with the pre-existing two party system, but who break away regardless: the factional dissenters.
—Nate Cohn, New York Times, 4 May 2024
So breaking away from that tradition is part of what the Queens ethos is about and trying to challenge the industry, because women will continue having children, or that should be an option if someone wants to have children.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
The voting is part of a non-binding election being held by Sikhs around the world who aspire to break away from India, and form in what is today the Indian state of Punjab, an independent nation called Khalistan.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
On one end of Mr. Mohamed’s block, a new Shake Shack sits across the street from Masjid at-Taqwa, a mosque that broke away from the Nation of Islam in 1981.
—Liam Stack Stephanie Keith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The threat of the SEC and Big Ten breaking away and forming their own two-conference playoff looms in the background of the negotiations.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024
Eight barges broke away, three of which crashed into a gambling vessel that was moored there.
—Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Instead, Moreno struggled for weeks to break away from the pack and whittle down a plurality of undecided voters that dominated most polls.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
Within a minute after Game 1 overtime hero Miles Wood was denied on a partial breakaway, the Stars enjoyed an odd-man rush that ended with Hintz burying a sharp-angled shot.
—Field Level Media, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2024
Boston had led 1-0 with 7:48 left in the first period when Pavel Zacha’s charge to the net on a breakaway drew Sergei Bobrvosky to his left and left enough net open for Zacha’s pass to scorer Charlie Coyle at the edge of the crease.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024
Serbia backs China’s stance that Taiwan is not a sovereign country but a breakaway province, while Beijing supports the Belgrade government’s claim to Kosovo, which declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
An opponent went for a breakaway, only for Macklin to catch him and knock it away with a dive on his belly.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024
Some joined the breakaway conservative Global Methodist Church, while others have remained independent.
—Ruth Graham, New York Times, 1 May 2024
Georgiev stoned Tyler Toffoli on a breakaway in the second period when the Jets led 2-1 in Game 3.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2024
The Kings’ best chance in the first 30 minutes came early in the second period when a turnover in the neutral zone launched Viktor Arvidsson on a breakaway with only Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner to beat.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The Kings went up 21-12 on two free throws by Ellis and stretched their lead to 10 on a breakaway dunk by Fox.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Meanwhile, Russia has signed a deal to house a permanent naval base in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, also on the Black Sea, its leader told local media Thursday.
—Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 6 Oct. 2023
The Alcaraz hype train has been so breakaway NBA stars Luka Doncic and Jimmy Butler showed up to watch the Spanish star from the teal seats.
—Marc Berman, ajc, 1 Apr. 2023
Russia is viewed as an enemy by many Georgians, after Moscow backed separatists in the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the 1990s.
—Reuters, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2023
Jerome Kersey followed with a breakaway dunk with 1:17 left and the game was tied at 97-97.
—oregonlive, 28 Apr. 2020
His breakaway power dunks were a highlight of a season that was short on those.
—Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 19 Mar. 2020
Johnson opened the second frame with a steal and a breakaway dunk, electrifying a drowsy crowd that had witnessed only six combined points through the first eight minutes.
—Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati.com, 8 Mar. 2020
Not giving the Chargers a breather, Fern Creek star point guard Jaden Rogers got a steal and a chance for a breakaway dunk.
—David J. Kim, The Courier-Journal, 29 Feb. 2020
Watchmen’s fantastic seventh episode indulges a breakaway gimmick with its own Garden of Eden imagery.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 11 May 2020
Verb
Advertisement Firing consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, Arnaldo broke away from a three-way tie to win the CIF San Diego Section individual championship with a 5-under-par, two-round total of 138.
—Jim Lindgren, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2024
The factional dissenters There’s another group of candidates whose demands do mostly align with the pre-existing two party system, but who break away regardless: the factional dissenters.
—Nate Cohn, New York Times, 4 May 2024
So breaking away from that tradition is part of what the Queens ethos is about and trying to challenge the industry, because women will continue having children, or that should be an option if someone wants to have children.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
The voting is part of a non-binding election being held by Sikhs around the world who aspire to break away from India, and form in what is today the Indian state of Punjab, an independent nation called Khalistan.
—Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
On one end of Mr. Mohamed’s block, a new Shake Shack sits across the street from Masjid at-Taqwa, a mosque that broke away from the Nation of Islam in 1981.
—Liam Stack Stephanie Keith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
The threat of the SEC and Big Ten breaking away and forming their own two-conference playoff looms in the background of the negotiations.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024
Eight barges broke away, three of which crashed into a gambling vessel that was moored there.
—Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Instead, Moreno struggled for weeks to break away from the pack and whittle down a plurality of undecided voters that dominated most polls.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breakaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near breakaway
Cite this Entry
“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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