1
as in to stop
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 to end
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 break off
Microplastics, minuscule bits of plastic that break off of larger products, are smaller than a pencil eraser, measuring less than 5 millimeters.
—
Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
The bucket then collapsed, leaving the worker dangling upside down from his harness as the crane arm partially broke off.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 June 2025
Some United Nations troops broke off from the convoy and crossed the frozen reservoir to the Marine base’s safety.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2025
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox broke off their two-year engagement in November of 2024, just weeks after announcing Fox’s pregnancy.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 1 July 2025
The bucket then collapsed, leaving the worker dangling upside down from his harness as the crane arm partially broke off.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 June 2025
Some United Nations troops broke off from the convoy and crossed the frozen reservoir to the Marine base’s safety.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2025
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox broke off their two-year engagement in November of 2024, just weeks after announcing Fox’s pregnancy.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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Shortly after Braun’s executive order, the Indiana Department of Health told local health departments to stop accepting requests to change genders on birth certificates.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
24 July 2025
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Break it up by stopping at the St. Regis Travel Center in St. Regis, Montana, for a huckleberry milkshake.—
Sal Vaglica,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Last year, Kennedy ended his independent bid for president during an Arizona visit and endorsed President Donald Trump.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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Within two hours of the meeting ending, send a summary, not a transcript.—
Ishaan Agarwal,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Which is yet another reason for politicians to cease trying to corrupt the brilliance of freely arrived at price signals.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
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Historic vote guts public media nationally On May 1, Trump issued an executive order instructing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private nonprofit that manages the federal money for public media, to cease funding of NPR and PBS.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
30 July 2025
Verb
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This week, Alina Habba, who was among Trump’s most notoriously combative criminal defense lawyers, is a likely casualty: Judges in New Jersey are nearly certain to nix any extension of her expiring interim term as the district’s U.S. attorney.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
21 July 2025
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Third-quarter sales may spike before federal tax credit expires (Cox Automotive) GM to make lower-cost battery cells at Tennessee plant.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
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However, the chance to get together in person with club members was halted that March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Scott Talley,
Freep.com,
28 July 2025
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First, income convergence between Black and white Americans largely halted.—
Idrees Kahloon,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Metallica is slated to kick off their 2026 M72 World Tour in the late spring, which will conclude in the early summer on July 5th, 2026.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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At a two-day meeting that concludes Wednesday, the Fed is widely expected to hold its key interest rate steady despite President Donald Trump’s monthslong campaign aimed at browbeating Fed Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues into cutting rates.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
28 July 2025
Verb
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Money has also been spent on nongovernmental organization programs that hand out clean needles and crack pipes as part of progressive harm reduction policies instead of encouraging homeless drug users to quit.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
14 July 2025
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Although the overall unemployment rate is just 4.1%, few people are quitting jobs today, and employers are skittish about hiring.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 July 2025
Verb
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Charron, 39, was found guilty of first-degree murder in April in connection with the death of Sardinha, 25, who was stabbed twice in the chest and nearly had her nose cut off on Sept. 2, 2020, in her apartment in Huntington Beach, KTLA reported.—
Christine Pelisek,
People.com,
28 July 2025
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Hunger in Gaza escalated after Israel cut off supplies in March.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
27 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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