break
broken; broke; breaking; breaks
When you break something, you ruin it. When you take a break, you stop and rest. If you play catch during your lunch break, try not to break any windows.
The verb break means to fracture or crack or destroy something while the noun refers to an interruption or a little time off. To "break the ice" is to warm up a conversation that's a little awkward or cold because the people involved don't know one another. In theater, the superstitious saying "break a leg" is a way of wishing "good luck" without jinxing someone — strange, but true.
Definitions of break
-
destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments“He broke the glass plate”“She broke the match”
-
Synonyms:
-
come apart, fall apart, separate, split up
become separated into pieces or fragments
-
types:
- show 6 types...
- hide 6 types...
-
shatter
cause to break into many pieces
-
fracture
break into pieces
-
break in
break so as to fall inward
-
dash, smash
break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over
-
stave in
break in the staves (of)
-
blast, knock down
shatter as if by explosion
-
come apart, fall apart, separate, split up
-
weaken or destroy in spirit or body“His resistance was broken”“a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death”
-
type of:
-
weaken
lessen the strength of
-
weaken
-
destroy the completeness of a set of related items
-
break a piece from a whole
-
fracture a bone of
-
become separated into pieces or fragments“The figurine broke”
-
synonyms:
come apart, fall apart, separate, split up
-
types:
- show 22 types...
- hide 22 types...
-
break open, burst, split
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
-
puncture
be pierced or punctured
-
burst, bust
break open or apart suddenly and forcefully
-
smash
break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow
-
ladder, run
come unraveled or undone as if by snagging
-
crack, snap
break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension
-
break up, fragment, fragmentise, fragmentize
break or cause to break into pieces
-
crush
become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure
-
pop
burst open with a sharp, explosive sound
-
blow
burst suddenly
-
stave, stave in
burst or force (a hole) into something
-
atomise, atomize
break up into small particles
-
bray, comminute, crunch, grind, mash
reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading
-
pound
break down and crush by beating, as with a pestle
-
shatter
break into many pieces
-
sunder
break apart or in two, using violence
-
sliver, splinter
break up into splinters or slivers
-
rag
break into lumps before sorting
-
crumb
break into crumbs
-
brecciate
break into breccia
-
crush
break into small pieces
-
grate, grind
make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together
-
type of:
-
change integrity
change in physical make-up
-
scatter or part“The clouds broke after the heavy downpour”
-
type of:
-
disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out
move away from each other
-
disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out
-
go to pieces“The lawn mower finally broke”
-
synonyms:
bust, fall apart, wear, wear out
-
bust
ruin completely
-
type of:
-
crumble, decay, dilapidate
fall into decay or ruin
-
bust
-
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
crack
break partially but keep its integrity
-
chap
crack due to dehydration
-
craze
develop a fine network of cracks
-
alligator
crack and acquire the appearance of alligator hide, as from weathering or improper application; of paint and varnishes
-
type of:
-
change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature
-
render inoperable or ineffective
-
cause the failure or ruin of
-
ruin completely
-
synonyms:
bust
-
bust, fall apart, wear, wear out
go to pieces
-
bust, fall apart, wear, wear out
-
reduce to bankruptcy“My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!”
-
type of:
-
impoverish
make poor
-
impoverish
-
invalidate by judicial action“The will was broken”
-
type of:
-
annihilate, annul, avoid, invalidate, nullify, quash, void
declare invalid
-
annihilate, annul, avoid, invalidate, nullify, quash, void
-
break down, literally or metaphorically“The dam broke”
-
abandon, give up
stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims
-
burst, collapse
cause to burst
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
go off, implode
burst inward
-
buckle, crumple
fold or collapse
-
flop
fall loosely
-
sink, slide down, slump
fall or sink heavily
-
type of:
-
change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature
-
abandon, give up
-
fall sharply
-
curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves
-
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises“break a law”“break a promise”
-
synonyms:
breach, go against, infract, offend, transgress, violate
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
sin, transgress, trespass
commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law
-
blunder, boob, drop the ball, goof, sin
commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake
-
conflict, contravene, infringe, run afoul
go against, as of rules and laws
-
trespass
break the law
-
intrude, trespass
enter unlawfully on someone's property
-
fall
yield to temptation or sin
-
break in
enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act
-
type of:
-
disrespect
show a lack of respect for
-
fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
-
synonyms:
go against, violate
-
Antonyms:
-
conform to
observe
-
types:
-
fly in the face of, fly in the teeth of
go against
-
conform to
-
make submissive, obedient, or useful“The horse was tough to break”“I broke in the new intern”
-
synonyms:
break in
-
type of:
-
domesticate, domesticise, domesticize, reclaim, tame
overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable
-
domesticate, domesticise, domesticize, reclaim, tame
-
be broken in
-
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank“He was broken down to Sergeant”
-
synonyms:
bump, demote, kick downstairs, relegate
-
lessen in force or effect
-
exchange for smaller units of money
-
the act of breaking something
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
rupture
the act of making a sudden noisy break
-
shattering, smashing
the act of breaking something into small pieces
-
crack, cracking, fracture
the act of cracking something
-
chip, chipping, splintering
the act of chipping something
-
type of:
-
change of integrity
the act of changing the unity or wholeness of something
-
the occurrence of breaking“the break in the dam threatened the valley”
-
types:
-
snap
a sudden breaking
-
type of:
-
breakup, detachment, separation
coming apart
-
snap
-
breaking of hard tissue such as bone“the break seems to have been caused by a fall”
-
synonyms:
fracture
-
types:
- show 12 types...
- hide 12 types...
-
comminuted fracture
fracture in which the bone is splintered or crushed
-
complete fracture
break involving the entire width of the bone
-
compound fracture, open fracture
bone fracture associated with lacerated soft tissue or an open wound
-
compression fracture
fracture in which the bone collapses (especially in short bones such as vertebrae)
-
depressed fracture
fracture of the skull where the bone is pushed in
-
displaced fracture
fracture in which the two ends of the broken bone are separated from one another
-
fatigue fracture, stress fracture
fracture resulting from excessive activity rather than a specific injury
-
capillary fracture, hairline fracture
a fracture without separation of the fragments and the line of the break being very thin
-
incomplete fracture
fracture that does not go across the entire width of the bone
-
impacted fracture
fracture in which one broken end is wedged into the other broken end
-
closed fracture, simple fracture
an uncomplicated fracture in which the broken bones to not pierce the skin
-
greenstick fracture
a partial fracture of a bone (usually in children); the bone is bent but broken on only one side
-
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
-
synonyms:
fault, faulting, fracture, geological fault, shift
-
examples:
-
Denali Fault
a major open geological fault in Alaska
-
San Andreas Fault
a major geological fault in California; runs from San Diego to San Francisco; the source of serious earthquakes
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
inclined fault
a geological fault in which one side is above the other
-
strike-slip fault
a geological fault in which one of the adjacent surfaces appears to have moved horizontally
-
common fault, gravity fault, normal fault
an inclined fault in which the hanging wall appears to have slipped downward relative to the footwall
-
overthrust fault, reverse fault, thrust fault
a geological fault in which the upper side appears to have been pushed upward by compression
-
Denali Fault
-
interrupt a continued activity
-
come to an end
-
stop operating or functioning“The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town”“The coffee maker broke”
-
buy the farm, cash in one's chips, choke, conk, croak, decease, die, drop dead, exit, expire, give-up the ghost, go, kick the bucket, pass, pass away, perish, pop off, snuff it
pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
-
types:
- show 5 types...
- hide 5 types...
-
crash, go down
stop operating
-
blow, blow out, burn out
melt, break, or become otherwise unusable
-
misfire
fail to fire or detonate
-
malfunction, misfunction
fail to function or function improperly
-
jam
get stuck and immobilized
-
type of:
-
change
undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature
-
buy the farm, cash in one's chips, choke, conk, croak, decease, die, drop dead, exit, expire, give-up the ghost, go, kick the bucket, pass, pass away, perish, pop off, snuff it
-
terminate“break a lucky streak”“break the cycle of poverty”
-
synonyms:
interrupt
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
hold on, stop
stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments
-
break off, break short, cut short
interrupt before its natural or planned end
-
freeze, suspend
stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it
-
hang up
interrupt a telephone conversation
-
prevent completion“break off the negotiations”
-
synonyms:
break off, discontinue, stop
-
types:
- show 15 types...
- hide 15 types...
-
fracture
become fractured
-
bog, bog down
get stuck while doing something
-
break up, cut off, disrupt, interrupt
make a break in
-
cut, cut off
cease, stop
-
punctuate
interrupt periodically
-
put aside, put away
turn away from and put aside, perhaps temporarily
-
intermit, pause
cease an action temporarily
-
barge in, break in, butt in, chime in, chisel in, cut in, put in
break into a conversation
-
burst in on, burst upon
spring suddenly
-
heckle
challenge aggressively
-
come in, inject, interject, interpose, put in, throw in
to insert between other elements
-
block, jam
interfere with or prevent the reception of signals
-
stop, stop over
interrupt a trip
-
take off, take time off
take time off from work; stop working temporarily
-
interject
speak abruptly, especially as an interruption
-
discontinue an association or relation; go different ways“The business partners broke over a tax question”
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
give the axe, give the bounce, give the gate
terminate a relationship abruptly
-
break apart, disunify
break up or separate
-
disassociate, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, divorce
part; cease or break association with
-
break with
end a relationship
-
divorce, split up
get a divorce; formally terminate a marriage
-
break away, secede, splinter
withdraw from an organization or communion
-
break away
interrupt a continued activity
-
cease an action temporarily“let's break for lunch”
-
types:
-
breathe, catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
-
take five
take a break for five minutes
-
take ten
take a ten minute break
-
breathe, catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
-
diminish or discontinue abruptly
-
cause to give up a habit“She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes”
-
give up
-
vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity
-
interrupt the flow of current in
-
some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity“there was a break in the action when a player was hurt”
-
synonyms:
interruption
-
types:
- show 10 types...
- hide 10 types...
-
dislocation, disruption
an event that results in a displacement or discontinuity
-
punctuation
something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions
-
abatement, hiatus, reprieve, respite, suspension
an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
-
eclipse, occultation
the phenomenon when one celestial body obscures another
-
defervescence
abatement of a fever as indicated by a reduction in body temperature
-
solar eclipse
the moon interrupts light from the sun
-
lunar eclipse
the earth interrupts light shining on the moon
-
total eclipse
an eclipse as seen from a place where the eclipsed body is completely obscured
-
partial eclipse
an eclipse in which the eclipsed body is only partially obscured
-
remission, remittal, subsidence
an abatement in intensity or degree (as in the manifestations of a disease)
-
type of:
-
happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
an event that happens
-
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity“it was presented without commercial breaks”
-
synonyms:
disruption, gap, interruption
-
types:
- show 5 types...
- hide 5 types...
-
cut-in, insert
(film) a still picture that is introduced and that interrupts the action of a film
-
cut-in, insert
(broadcasting) a local announcement inserted into a network program
-
interjection, interpellation, interpolation, interposition
the action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts
-
abruption, breaking off
an instance of sudden interruption
-
barracking, heckling
shouting to interrupt a speech with which you disagree
-
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
-
synonyms:
intermission, interruption, pause, suspension
-
types:
- show 13 types...
- hide 13 types...
-
lapse
a break or intermission in the occurrence of something
-
blackout
a suspension of radio or tv broadcasting
-
caesura
a pause or interruption (as in a conversation)
-
dead air
an inadvertent interruption in a broadcast during which there is no sound
-
delay, hold, postponement, time lag, wait
time during which some action is awaited
-
halftime
an intermission between the first and second half of a game
-
relief, respite, rest, rest period
a pause for relaxation
-
time-out
a brief suspension of play
-
letup, lull
a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished
-
extension
a mutually agreed delay in the date set for the completion of a job or payment of a debt
-
breath, breather, breathing place, breathing space, breathing spell, breathing time
a short respite
-
moratorium
a legally authorized postponement before some obligation must be discharged
-
retardation
the extent to which something is delayed or held back
-
type of:
-
interval, time interval
a definite length of time marked off by two instants
-
a pause from doing something (as work)
-
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)“they hoped to avoid a break in relations”
-
synonyms:
breach, falling out, rift, rupture, severance
-
types:
-
schism
the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
-
type of:
-
breakup, detachment, separation
coming apart
-
schism
-
become punctured or penetrated“The skin broke”
-
pierce or penetrate
-
enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act
-
force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up“break into tears”
-
type of:
-
express emotion, express feelings
give verbal or other expression to one's feelings
-
express emotion, express feelings
-
find a flaw in
-
find the solution or key to“break the code”
-
type of:
-
figure out, lick, puzzle out, solve, work, work out
find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
-
figure out, lick, puzzle out, solve, work, work out
-
surpass in excellence
-
emerge from the surface of a body of water“The whales broke”
-
type of:
-
appear
come into sight or view
-
appear
-
move away or escape suddenly“The horses broke from the stable”“Three inmates broke jail”“Nobody can break out--this prison is high security”
-
synonyms:
break away, break out
-
type of:
-
break loose, escape, get away
run away from confinement
-
break loose, escape, get away
-
change directions suddenly
-
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing“The ranks broke”
-
Synonyms:
-
break away, break out
move away or escape suddenly
-
type of:
-
flee, fly, take flight
run away quickly
-
break away, break out
-
a sudden dash“he made a break for the open door”
-
types:
-
fast break
(basketball) a rapid dash to get a shot as soon as possible after taking possession of the ball
-
fast break
-
an escape from jail
-
synonyms:
breakout, gaolbreak, jailbreak, prison-breaking, prisonbreak
-
happen or take place“Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months”
-
type of:
-
come about, fall out, go on, hap, happen, occur, pass, pass off, take place
come to pass
-
come about, fall out, go on, hap, happen, occur, pass, pass off, take place
-
happen
-
synonyms:
develop, recrudesce
-
develop
be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest
-
type of:
-
come about, fall out, go on, hap, happen, occur, pass, pass off, take place
come to pass
-
develop
-
come into being
-
come forth or begin from a state of latency“The first winter storm broke over New York”
-
type of:
-
come forth, emerge
happen or occur as a result of something
-
come forth, emerge
-
be released or become known; of news“News of her death broke in the morning”
-
synonyms:
get around, get out
-
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret“he broke the news to her”
-
synonyms:
bring out, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, give away, let on, let out, reveal, unwrap
-
get around, get out
be released or become known; of news
-
types:
- show 12 types...
- hide 12 types...
-
blackwash
bring (information) out of concealment
-
muckrake
explore and expose misconduct and scandals concerning public figures
-
blow
cause to be revealed and jeopardized
-
out
reveal (something) about somebody's identity or lifestyle
-
come out, come out of the closet, out
to state openly and publicly one's homosexuality
-
spring
produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly
-
betray, bewray
reveal unintentionally
-
confide
reveal in private; tell confidentially
-
leak
tell anonymously
-
babble, babble out, blab, blab out, let the cat out of the bag, peach, sing, spill the beans, talk, tattle
divulge confidential information or secrets
-
reveal
disclose directly or through prophets
-
relieve, unbosom
relieve oneself of troubling information
-
type of:
-
tell
let something be known
-
get around, get out
-
an unexpected piece of good luck“he finally got his big break”
-
synonyms:
good luck, happy chance
-
type of:
-
accident, chance event, fortuity, stroke
anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause
-
accident, chance event, fortuity, stroke
-
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another
-
crack; of the male voice in puberty“his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir”
-
type of:
-
change state, turn
undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
-
change state, turn
-
undergo breaking“The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages”
-
type of:
-
diphthongise, diphthongize
change from a simple vowel to a diphthong
-
diphthongise, diphthongize
-
an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)“then there was a break in her voice”
-
type of:
-
alteration, change, modification
an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
-
alteration, change, modification
-
make the opening shot that scatters the balls
-
type of:
-
shoot
throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective
-
shoot
-
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
-
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving“he was up two breaks in the second set”
-
synonyms:
break of serve
-
type of:
-
score
the act of scoring in a game or sport
-
score
-
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare“the break in the eighth frame cost him the match”
-
synonyms:
open frame
-
type of:
-
score
the act of scoring in a game or sport
-
score
-
separate from a clinch, in boxing
-
do a break dance“Kids were break-dancing at the street corner”
-
synonyms:
break dance, break-dance
-
type of:
-
dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe
move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
-
dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘break'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up break for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
