break

How to use break in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for break.

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Editorial note

But it's really hard to break this habit, and this "Hey, it's just meaningless joke, right?!

Examples4

Definitions75

Parts of speech2

Quick take

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"

Meaning at a glance

The clearest senses and uses of break gathered in one view.

noun

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"

noun

an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"

noun

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"; "he studied the faulting of the earth's crust"

Definitions

Core meanings and parts of speech for break.

noun

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"

noun

an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"

noun

See also: fault, faulting, shift, fracture

noun

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"

See also: rupture, breach, severance, rift

noun

a pause from doing something (as work); "we took a 10-minute break"; "he took time out to recuperate"

noun

the act of breaking something; "the breakage was unavoidable"

noun

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

noun

breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"

noun

the occurrence of breaking; "the break in the dam threatened the valley"

noun

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"

noun

the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

noun

(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving; "he was up two breaks in the second set"

noun

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; "it was presented without commercial breaks"; "there was a gap in his account"

noun

a sudden dash; "he made a break for the open door"

noun

any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare; "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"

noun

an escape from jail; "the breakout was carefully planned"

verb

terminate; "She interrupted her pregnancy"; "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty"

verb

become separated into pieces or fragments; "The figurine broke"; "The freshly baked loaf fell apart"

verb

render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"

verb

ruin completely; "He busted my radio!"

verb

destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match"

verb

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise"

See also: transgress, offend, infract, violate, breach

verb

move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"

verb

scatter or part; "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour"

verb

force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up; "break into tears"; "erupt in anger"

verb

prevent completion; "stop the project"; "break off the negotiations"

verb

enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act; "Someone broke in while I was on vacation"; "They broke into my car and stole my radio!"; "who broke into my account last night?"

verb

make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern"

verb

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; "This sentence violates the rules of syntax"

verb

surpass in excellence; "She bettered her own record"; "break a record"

verb

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"

verb

come into being; "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air"

verb

stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"

verb

interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns"

verb

make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing; "The ranks broke"

verb

curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke"

verb

lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

verb

be broken in; "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress"

verb

come to an end; "The heat wave finally broke yesterday"

verb

vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity; "The flat plain was broken by tall mesas"

verb

cause to give up a habit; "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes"

verb

give up; "break cigarette smoking"

verb

come forth or begin from a state of latency; "The first winter storm broke over New York"

verb

happen or take place; "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months"

verb

cause the failure or ruin of; "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"; "This play will either make or break the playwright"

verb

invalidate by judicial action; "The will was broken"

verb

discontinue an association or relation; go different ways; "The business partners broke over a tax question"; "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage"; "My friend and I split up"

verb

assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; "She was demoted because she always speaks up"; "He was broken down to Sergeant"

verb

reduce to bankruptcy; "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!"; "The slump in the financial markets smashed him"

verb

change directions suddenly

verb

emerge from the surface of a body of water; "The whales broke"

verb

break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"

verb

do a break dance; "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner"

verb

exchange for smaller units of money; "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy"

verb

destroy the completeness of a set of related items; "The book dealer would not break the set"

verb

make the opening shot that scatters the balls

verb

separate from a clinch, in boxing; "The referee broke the boxers"

verb

go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"

verb

break a piece from a whole; "break a branch from a tree"

verb

become punctured or penetrated; "The skin broke"

verb

pierce or penetrate; "The blade broke her skin"

verb

be released or become known; of news; "News of her death broke in the morning"

verb

cease an action temporarily; "We pause for station identification"; "let's break for lunch"

verb

interrupt the flow of current in; "break a circuit"

verb

undergo breaking; "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages"

verb

find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof"

verb

find the solution or key to; "break the code"

verb

change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another; "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"

verb

happen; "Report the news as it develops"; "These political movements recrudesce from time to time"

verb

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only; "The glass cracked when it was heated"

verb

crack; of the male voice in puberty; "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"

verb

fall sharply; "stock prices broke"

verb

fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"

verb

diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient's fever broke last night"

verb

weaken or destroy in spirit or body; "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"

Example sentences

But it's really hard to break this habit, and this "Hey, it's just meaningless joke, right?!

Let's break down some of the copy for this app:Prompt is a clean, crisp, and cheerful SSH clientWhat does that mean?

I was smoking on my fire escape, and saw a dude break a car window and steal a shopping bag out of the back seat.

You have to get this or you will never break out of your rut:The reason you're stuck is because you're too focused on yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.

How do you use break in a sentence?

But it's really hard to break this habit, and this "Hey, it's just meaningless joke, right?!

What does break mean?

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"