Synonyms of breaks
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as in disrupts
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as in stops
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as in reduces
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as in deciphers
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as in pauses
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as in plows
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as in violates
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as in solves
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as in damages
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as in dies
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as in retreats
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as in wears
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as in circulates
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as in bankrupts
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as in begins
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as in veers
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as in lowers
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as in exceeds
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as in surfaces
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as in lulls
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as in vacations
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as in gaps
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as in opportunities
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as in accidents
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as in escapes
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Example Sentences
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Entries Near
1
as in disrupts
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 stops
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
as in reduces
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 deciphers
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 pauses
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 violates
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 solves
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 damages
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in dies
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in retreats
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 wears
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in circulates
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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14
as in bankrupts
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
another bad investment could break him
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15
as in begins
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in veers
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 lowers
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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18
as in exceeds
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in lulls
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 vacations
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 gaps
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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4
5
as in accidents
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 escapes
the act or an instance of getting free from danger or confinement
a desperate break from that hellhole
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaks
Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
The first choice For every assistant coach looking to lead their own program, their first job often makes or breaks their careers.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
There the mRNA remains for hours or, at most, a few days before a specialized enzyme breaks it down.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Why does the Florida AG say the Rooney Rule breaks state law?
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The win is the 455th of Bobrovsky’s career, which breaks a tie with Curtis Joseph for the seventh-most in NHL history.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
When a fiber breaks, and most will at some point, it’s repaired, often at a cost of millions or even tens of millions of dollars.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
To hear that even those who found safety may now be forced back into danger breaks my heart.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Venture out beyond the square, and the small-town USA illusion breaks.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Vernon Hills senior Ryley Bautista doesn’t want any breaks from sports.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Once price breaks above or below the cloud, traders often watch to see whether price holds above or below the Kijun-sen, which acts as an equilibrium level, before confirming a new trend direction.
—Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Think of them as your brain’s way of pumping the breaks on your lightning-fast slurpee chug in order to keep your most essential organ a safe temperature.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
In the nostalgic new spot, Barber leans all the way into the heightened world of ‘90s sitcom comedy, blending exaggerated reactions, fourth-wall breaks and playful absurdity all while wearing the brand’s signature hands-free sneakers.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
In this case, by taking a lot of breaks.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
New breaks may be coming in cold cases that have sat unsolved for decades, thanks to new funding for forensic genealogy efforts at the San Antonio Police Department.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Antonelli breaks a record set by Lewis Hamilton in 2007, when the 22-year-old led the world championship in his rookie season.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
The first choice For every assistant coach looking to lead their own program, their first job often makes or breaks their careers.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2026
There the mRNA remains for hours or, at most, a few days before a specialized enzyme breaks it down.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026
Why does the Florida AG say the Rooney Rule breaks state law?
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The win is the 455th of Bobrovsky’s career, which breaks a tie with Curtis Joseph for the seventh-most in NHL history.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
When a fiber breaks, and most will at some point, it’s repaired, often at a cost of millions or even tens of millions of dollars.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
To hear that even those who found safety may now be forced back into danger breaks my heart.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Fueled on coffee and with breaks for lunch and dinner, the two men signed more than 15,000, maybe even upwards of 20,000 comics, in a span of four days under the watchful eyes of reps for a signing and grading company charged with handling the comics.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Venture out beyond the square, and the small-town USA illusion breaks.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026
Vernon Hills senior Ryley Bautista doesn’t want any breaks from sports.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Once price breaks above or below the cloud, traders often watch to see whether price holds above or below the Kijun-sen, which acts as an equilibrium level, before confirming a new trend direction.
—Karl Montevirgen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Think of them as your brain’s way of pumping the breaks on your lightning-fast slurpee chug in order to keep your most essential organ a safe temperature.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2026
In the nostalgic new spot, Barber leans all the way into the heightened world of ‘90s sitcom comedy, blending exaggerated reactions, fourth-wall breaks and playful absurdity all while wearing the brand’s signature hands-free sneakers.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
In this case, by taking a lot of breaks.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026
New breaks may be coming in cold cases that have sat unsolved for decades, thanks to new funding for forensic genealogy efforts at the San Antonio Police Department.
—Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks
Verb
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However, Wisconsin gas prices are currently about 60 cents higher than the same time last year as the war with Iran disrupts the global oil supply.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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What to Skip Alcohol feels relaxing but disrupts deep sleep and melatonin production.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Much of physicists’ intuition stops being helpful in an expanding universe.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
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The run hits major arenas including Chase Center in San Francisco, United Center in Chicago, TD Garden in Boston and stops across Canada, before closing out at the band’s home turf.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By banning advertising by legal operators during live sporting events and sharply limiting promotions, the proposal drastically reduces the visibility of the regulated market.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Technologies such as Revo-Su, which significantly reduces water consumption, and B210, which enables biodegradability in stretch fabrics, are direct outcomes of this focus.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Qualcomm’s chip can run Linux, along with Arduino software, and can even do computer vision, which deciphers what a camera sees and translates it into software.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
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With that base knowledge and his opponent’s game tape, Nolan analyzes wide receiver alignments and deciphers the offense's attack.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The feature is enabled by default and pauses file syncing when the system detects potential ransomware activity.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
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This status pauses tax collection efforts, but interest and penalties continue to build.—
Kat Tretina,
Sacbee.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Police and fire may respond to calls even before snow plows clear city and town streets.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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Property owners move the snow from the sidewalk to the curb, snow plows move the snow from the street to the curb, and the result is a wall of snow and ice.—
Michael Pollack,
New York Daily News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Supreme Court said Colorado's ban on conversion therapy for minors violates the free speech rights of a Christian counselor.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Israeli rights groups and international organizations say the law violates international law and discriminates against Palestinians through unequal application across courts.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That oxygen supply solves a long-standing problem in the field.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
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The lead character, Jack Reacher, is a former military policeman who solves crimes as a vigilante.—
Austin Mullen,
NBC news,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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