Synonyms of break
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as in to disrupt 
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as in to stop
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as in to reduce
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as in to decipher
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as in to pause
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as in to plow
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as in to violate
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as in to solve
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as in to damage
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as in to die
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as in to retreat
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as in to wear
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as in to circulate
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as in to ruin
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as in to begin
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as in to veer
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as in to depress
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as in to exceed
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as in to surface
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as in pause
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as in vacation
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as in gap
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as in opportunity
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as in accident
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as in escape
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Related Articles
1
as in to disrupt
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase
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2
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
as in to reduce
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander
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4
as in to decipher
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis
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5
as in to pause
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime
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6
7
as in to violate
to fail to keep
had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone
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8
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds
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9
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in to die
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in to retreat
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above
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12
as in to wear
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in to circulate
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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as in to begin
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in to veer
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds
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17
as in to depress
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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18
as in to exceed
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
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1
as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in
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2
as in vacation
a period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended
most of the students at the boarding school are going home for Christmas break
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3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rancher repaired the break in the fence where the horse had gotten through
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5
as in accident
an unexpected benefit or advantage resulting from the uncertain course of events
a guy who just seems to get all the breaks in life
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6
as in escape
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of break
Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
Economists predicted that the United States would break free of its long-running housing slump in 2025.
—Luke Broadwater Eric Schmitt Glenn Thrush Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Beyond the surf breaks and world-class sunsets, Hawaii has a complex story.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Verb
Serving for the set at 5-4, Sabalenka couldn’t finish off Gauff, who saved two set points and finally broke Sabalenka on her fifth chance.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 7 June 2025
Economists predicted that the United States would break free of its long-running housing slump in 2025.
—Luke Broadwater Eric Schmitt Glenn Thrush Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Noun
The Face the Nation preview was aired during the show, not during an advertising break.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Beyond the surf breaks and world-class sunsets, Hawaii has a complex story.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break
Verb
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The earthquake disrupted the World Series and damaged the Bay Bridge, Oakland’s Cypress Freeway, and swaths of San Francisco.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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The cuts will disrupt ongoing research, ruin experiments and datasets, destroy the careers of aspiring scientists, and deter long-term investments at universities across the country.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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On September 2, Border Force officers had stopped two women at London Stansted Airport.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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When the car stopped at a train crossing near Samuels Avenue and Northeast 23rd Street, Castilleja removed a folding knife from his sweatshirt pocket and stabbed his father once in the right side of the neck, according to the affidavit.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To reduce the chance of being struck by lightning, when venturing outside, have a plan to get to a safer area.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
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Empower fishing businesses to promote sustainable practices by eliminating overfishing, ending harmful fisheries subsidies globally, and reducing the sometimes destructive impacts of fisheries on marine habitats. 5.—
Marc Benioff,
Time,
8 June 2025
Verb
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Sometimes, Tarhan explained, women will flip the cups over and try and try to decipher the meaning left behind by the coffee sediment — kind of like reading your fortune in tea leaves.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2025
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Finally, Ross helps boost your energy intelligence to decipher when rest requires slowing down and when it’s achieved by accelerating in a new, reinvigorating direction.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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In a 2-to-1 decision on Friday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily paused a lower court’s order requiring the Trump White House to allow Associated Press reporters to participate in daily press events and presidential travel.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Woldenberg’s first response to the Liberation Day tariffs was to pause his plans to build a new warehouse.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The sardine run in South Africa is perhaps the most cinematic — dolphins herding fish, sharks plowing through bait balls, birds raining from the sky.—
Rona Berg,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Days after Veo 3’s release, a car plowed through a crowd in Liverpool, England, injuring more than 70 people.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
3 June 2025
Verb
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If an interaction that violates our Community Guidelines occurs, report it to us.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
5 June 2025
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That has led to China and the US trading barbs in the past week, over which side violated the temporary trade agreement reached in Geneva.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Verb
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To be most successful, the company must continue to balance its expansion into solving ultra-difficult scientific and engineering challenges using its supercomputers with maintaining its stronghold in EDA for chip makers.—
Anshel Sag,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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No single solution can completely solve the cost challenges, but wind is the single biggest step forward Maryland can take to stabilize prices with a zero-fuel-cost energy source.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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