as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic
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Recent Examples of breather
Bochy, seeking a full mental breather, would tell the player to assume he wouldn’t be called upon in that game.
—
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Those of us who love her were able to finally take a breather on this one when the film bros eventually shut up and were able to admit that Hathaway totally whips ass in this franchise closer.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Jokic stayed in the game to start the fourth quarter as Adelman felt the margin for error was narrow enough that his star player couldn’t be lent a breather.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
But in the case of screenwriter Jeremy Robbins, receiving an involuntary breather from the breakneck pace of TV writers’ rooms provided him the runway to write a spec feature script called Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breather
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Those of us who love her were able to finally take a breather on this one when the film bros eventually shut up and were able to admit that Hathaway totally whips ass in this franchise closer.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Jokic stayed in the game to start the fourth quarter as Adelman felt the margin for error was narrow enough that his star player couldn’t be lent a breather.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
But in the case of screenwriter Jeremy Robbins, receiving an involuntary breather from the breakneck pace of TV writers’ rooms provided him the runway to write a spec feature script called Apex.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breather
Noun
-
There was a pause in the action in the fourth inning when plate umpire Brian O’Nora exited with concussion-like symptoms after getting hit by a foul ball.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
-
Let’s pause here for a moment for an important bit of context.—
Andy Meek,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The quality, however, doesn’t make for a pleasant viewing experience, especially during lulls in the season like the one the Dodgers are currently battling through.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
There’s typically an offseason lull with most players, so drops in price or sales volume aren’t abnormal this time of year for NFL players.—
Benjamin Burrows,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
An edgy confrontation The Rangers were still seething as Keenan attempted to address the team following a demoralizing 3-1 loss, with a few snapping back or muttering under their breath.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Grande sings that lyric in a low tone, not quite a whisper, but something just as fragile and out of breath.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
From breezy linen pants to packable layers and day-to-night dresses, these pieces are designed to keep you cool and stylish on city breaks and tropical getaways alike.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
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Divers found the boy within a few minutes of starting their search along the break wall.—
Shardaa Gray,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breather. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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