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break (br k)v. broke (br k), bro·ken (br k n), break·ing, breaks v.tr.1. To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash. 2. a. To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting: break crackers for a baby. b. To separate into components or parts: broke the work into discrete tasks. 3. To snap off or detach: broke a twig from the tree. 4. a. To fracture a bone of: I broke my leg. b. To fracture (a bone): I broke my femur. 5. To crack without separating into pieces. 6. a. To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items): broke the set of books by giving some away. b. To exchange for smaller monetary units: break a dollar. 7. To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of: a plain that was broken by low hills; caught the ball without breaking stride. 8. Electricity To render (a circuit) inoperative by disruption; open. 9. a. To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate: The blade barely broke the skin. b. To part or pierce the surface of: a dolphin breaking water. 10. To produce (a sweat) copiously on the skin, as from exercise. 11. To force one's way out of; escape from: break jail. 12. To make or bring about by cutting or forcing: break a trail through the woods. 13. a. To find an opening or flaw in: They couldn't break my alibi. b. To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of: break a code; break a spy ring. 14. To make known, as news: break a story. 15. To surpass or outdo: broke the league's home-run record. 16. To overcome or put an end to, especially by force or strong opposition: break a deadlock in negotiations; break a strike. 17. Sports To win a game on (an opponent's service), as in tennis. 18. To lessen the force or effect of: break a fall. 19. To render useless or inoperative: We accidentally broke the radio. 20. To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity: "For a hero loves the world till it breaks him" William Butler Yeats. 21. To cause the ruin or failure of (an enterprise, for example): Indiscretion broke both marriage and career. 22. To reduce in rank; demote. 23. To cause to be without money or to go into bankruptcy. 24. To fail to fulfill; cancel: break an engagement. 25. To fail to conform to; violate: break the speed limit. 26. Law To invalidate (a will) by judicial action. 27. a. To give up (a habit). b. To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking. 28. To train to obey; tame: The horse was difficult to break. v.intr.1. To become separated into pieces or fragments. 2. To become cracked or split. 3. To become fractured: His arm broke from the fall. 4. To become unusable or inoperative: The television broke. 5. To give way; collapse: The scaffolding broke during the storm. 6. To burst: The blister broke. 7. a. To intrude: They broke in upon our conversation. b. To filter in or penetrate: Sunlight broke into the room. 8. To scatter or disperse; part: The clouds broke after the storm. 9. Games To make the opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool. 10. Sports To separate from a clinch in boxing. 11. Sports To win a game on the opponent's service, as in tennis: broke twice in the first set. 12. To move away or escape suddenly: broke from his grip and ran off. 13. To come forth or begin from a state of latency; come into being or emerge: A storm was breaking over Miami. Crocuses broke from the soil. 14. To emerge above the surface of water. 15. To become known or noticed: The big story broke on Friday. 16. To change direction or move suddenly: The quarterback broke to the left to avoid a tackler. 17. Baseball To curve near or over the plate: The pitch broke away from the batter. 18. To change suddenly from one tone quality or musical register to another: His voice broke into a falsetto. 19. Linguistics To undergo breaking. 20. To change to a gait different from the one set. Used of a horse. 21. To interrupt or cease an activity: We'll break for coffee at ten. 22. To discontinue an association, an agreement, or a relationship: The partners broke over a financial matter. One hates to break with an old friend. 23. To diminish or discontinue abruptly: The fever is breaking. 24. To diminish in or lose physical or spiritual strength; weaken or succumb: Their good cheer broke after repeated setbacks. 25. To decrease sharply in value or quantity: Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 26. To come to an end: The cold spell broke yesterday. 27. To collapse or crash into surf or spray: waves that were breaking along the shore. 28. Informal To take place or happen; proceed: Things have been breaking well for them. 29. To engage in breaking; break dance. n.1. The act or an occurrence of breaking. 2. The result of breaking, as a crack, separation, or opening: a break in the clouds. 3. The beginning or emergence of something: the break of day 4. A sudden movement; a dash: The dog made a break toward the open field. 5. An escape: a prison break. 6. An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity: television programming without commercial breaks. 7. A pause or interval, as from work: a coffee break. 8. A sudden or marked change: a break in the weather. 9. A violation: a security break. 10. An often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck: finally got the big break in life. 11. Informal a. An allowance or indulgence; accommodating treatment: The boss gave me a break because I'd been sick. b. A favorable price or reduction: a tax break for charitable contributions. 12. A severing of ties: made a break with the past; a break between the two families. 13. Informal A faux pas. 14. A sudden decline in prices. 15. A caesura. 16. Printing a. The space between two paragraphs. b. A series of three dots ( . . . ) used to indicate an omission in a text. c. The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line. 17. Electricity Interruption of a flow of current. 18. Geology A marked change in topography such as a fault or deep valley. 19. Nautical The point of discontinuity between two levels on the deck of a ship. 20. Music a. The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another. b. The change itself. c. A solo jazz cadenza that is played during the pause between the regular phrases or choruses of a melody or that serves as an introduction to a more extended solo. 21. A change in a horse's gait to one different from that set by the rider. 22. Sports The swerving of a ball from a straight path of flight, as in baseball or cricket. 23. Sports The beginning of a race. 24. Sports a. A fast break. b. A rush toward the goal, as in hockey, by offense players in control of the puck or ball, often against fewer defenders: a three-on-one break. c. The separation after a clinch in boxing. 25. Games The opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool. 26. Games A run or unbroken series of successful shots, as in billiards or croquet. 27. Sports & Games Failure to score a strike or a spare in a given bowling frame. 28. Sports A service break. 29. also brake A high horse-drawn carriage with four wheels. 30. Break dancing. Phrasal Verbs: break away1. To separate or detach oneself, as from a group. 2. To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack. 3. To discontinue customary practice. break down1. To cause to collapse; destroy: break down a partition; broke down our resolve. 2. a. To become or cause to become distressed or upset. b. To have a physical or mental collapse. 3. To give up resistance; give way: prejudices that break down slowly. 4. To fail to function; cease to be useful, effective, or operable: The elevator broke down. 5. To render or become weak or ineffective: Opposition to the king's rule gradually broke down his authority. 6. a. To divide into or consider in parts; analyze. b. To be divisible; admit of analysis: The population breaks down into three main groups. 7. To decompose or cause to decompose chemically. 8. Electricity To undergo a breakdown. break in1. To train or adapt for a purpose. 2. To loosen or soften with use: break in new shoes. 3. To enter premises forcibly or illegally: a prowler who was trying to break in. 4. a. To interrupt a conversation or discussion. b. To intrude. 5. To begin an activity or undertaking: The Senator broke in during the war years. break into1. To interrupt: "No one would have dared to break into his abstraction" Alan Paton. 2. To begin suddenly: The horse broke into a wild gallop. The child broke into a flood of tears. 3. To enter (a field of activity): broke into broadcast journalism at an early age. break off1. To separate or become separated, as by twisting or tearing. 2. To stop suddenly, as in speaking. 3. a. To discontinue (a relationship). b. To cease to be friendly. break out1. To become affected with a skin eruption, such as pimples. 2. To develop suddenly and forcefully: Fighting broke out in the prison cells. 3. a. To ready for action or use: Break out the rifles! b. To bring forth for consumption: Let's break out the champagne. 4. To emerge or escape. 5. To be separable or classifiable into categories, as data. 6. To isolate (information) from a large body of data. break through To make a sudden, quick advance, as through an obstruction. break up1. a. To separate or be separated into pieces: She broke up a chocolate bar. The river ice finally broke up. b. To interrupt the uniformity or continuity of: An impromptu visit broke up the long afternoon. 2. To scatter; disperse: The crowd broke up after the game. 3. To cease to function or cause to stop functioning as an organized unit or group: His jazz band broke up. The new CEO broke up the corporation. 4. To bring or come to an end: Guards broke up the fight. They argued, and their friendship broke up. 5. Informal To burst or cause to burst into laughter. Idioms: break a leg Used to wish someone, such as an actor, success in a performance. break bread To eat together. break camp To pack up equipment and leave a campsite. break cover To emerge from a protected location or hiding place: The platoon broke cover and headed down the road. break even To gain an amount equal to that invested, as in a commercial venture. break ground1. To begin a new construction project. 2. To advance beyond previous achievements. break new ground To advance beyond previous achievements: broke new ground in the field of computers. break (one's) neck To make the utmost possible effort. break rank/ranks1. To fall into disorder, as a formation of soldiers. 2. To fail to conform to a prevailing or expected pattern or order: "Architectural experts have criticized the plaza in the past because it breaks rank with the distinctive façades of neighboring Fifth Avenue blocks, whose buildings are flush with the sidewalk" Sharon Churcher. break (someone's) heart To disappoint or dispirit someone severely. break the bank To require more money than is available. break the ice1. To make a start. 2. To relax a tense or unduly formal atmosphere or social situation. break wind To expel intestinal gas.
[Middle English breken, from Old English brecan; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: break, crack, fracture, burst, split, splinter, shatter, smash These verbs mean to separate or cause to separate into parts or pieces, either by the sudden application of force or by the pressure of internal stress. Break is the most general: The window was broken by vandals. I broke my arm when I fell. That delicate ornament will break easily. To crack is to break, often with a sharp snapping sound, without dividing into parts: I cracked the coffeepot, but it didn't leak. The building's foundation cracked during the earthquake. Fracture applies to a break or crack in a rigid body: She fractured her skull in the accident. Burst implies a sudden coming apart, especially from internal pressure, and the dispersion of contents: The child burst the balloon with a pin. Split refers to a division longitudinally or with the grain: She split the log with an ax. Splinter implies splitting into long, thin, sharp pieces: Repeated blows splintered the door. To shatter is to break into many scattered pieces: The bullet shattered the mirror upon impact. Smash stresses force of blow or impact and suggests complete destruction: He angrily smashed the vase against the wall. See Also Synonyms at demote, opportunity. |
break Verb [breaking, broke, broken] 1. to separate or become separated into two or more pieces 2. to damage or become damaged so as not to work 3. to burst or cut the surface of (skin) 4. to fracture (a bone) in (a limb, etc.) 5. to fail to observe (an agreement, promise, or law): they broke their promise 6. to reveal or be revealed: she broke the news gently 7. (foll. by with)to separate oneself from 8. to stop for a rest: to break a journey 9. to bring or come to an end: the winter weather broke at last 10. to weaken or overwhelm or be weakened or overwhelmed, as in spirit: he felt his life was broken by his illness 11. to cut through or penetrate: silence broken by shouts 12. to improve on or surpass: she broke three world records 13. (often foll. by in)to accustom (a horse) to the bridle and saddle, to being ridden, etc. 14. (foll. by of)to cause (a person) to give up (a habit): this cure will break you of smoking 15. to weaken the impact or force of: this net will break his fall 16. to decipher: to break a code 17. to lose the order of: to break ranks 18. to reduce to poverty or the state of bankruptcy 19. to come into being: light broke over the mountains 20. (foll. by into) a. to burst into (song, laughter, etc.) b. to change to (a faster pace) 21. to open with explosives: to break a safe 22. a. (of waves) to strike violently against b. (of waves) to collapse into foam or surf 23. Snooker to scatter the balls at the start of a game 24. Boxing, wrestling (of two fighters) to separate from a clinch 25. (of the male voice) to undergo a change in register, quality, and range at puberty 26. to interrupt the flow of current in (an electrical circuit) 27. break camp to pack up and leave a camp 28. break even to make neither a profit nor a loss 29. break the mould to make a change that breaks an established habit or pattern Noun 1. the act or result of breaking; fracture 2. a brief rest 3. a sudden rush, esp. to escape: they made a sudden break for freedom 4. any sudden interruption in a continuous action 5. Brit & NZ a short period between classes at school 6. a (short) holiday 7. Informal a fortunate opportunity, esp. to prove oneself 8. Informal a piece of good or bad luck 9. Billiards, snooker a series of successful shots during one turn 10. Snooker the opening shot that scatters the placed balls 11. a discontinuity in an electrical circuit 12. break of day the dawn breakable adj
Break a large quantity; a lot or consignment; a great number; a burst of sound. Examples: break of folk, 1808; of honeysuckle, 1880; Billards. of points, 1865; of stars, 1884; of tea, 1864; of trumpets, 1750.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | break - 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"punctuation - something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions | | 2. |  break - an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"chance event, fortuity, accident, stroke - anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause; "winning the lottery was a happy accident"; "the pregnancy was a stroke of bad luck"; "it was due to an accident or fortuity" | | 3. |  break - (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"geology - a science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks fault line - (geology) line determined by the intersection of a geological fault and the earth's surface 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 | | 4. |  break - a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"schism - the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences | | 5. |  break - a pause from doing something (as work); "we took a 10-minute break"; "he took time out to recuperate"pause - temporary inactivity spring break - a week or more of recess during the spring term at school | | 6. |  break - the act of breaking something; "the breakage was unavoidable"rupture - the act of making a sudden noisy break | | 7. |  break - a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of somethinglapse - a break or intermission in the occurrence of something; "a lapse of three weeks between letters" blackout - a suspension of radio or tv broadcasting caesura - a pause or interruption (as in a conversation); "after an ominous caesura the preacher continued" dead air - an inadvertent interruption in a broadcast during which there is no sound halftime - an intermission between the first and second half of a game time-out - a brief suspension of play; "each team has two time-outs left" letup, lull - a pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished; "there was never a letup in the noise" | | 8. |  break - breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"harm, hurt, injury, trauma - any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc. compression fracture - fracture in which the bone collapses (especially in short bones such as vertebrae) displaced fracture - fracture in which the two ends of the broken bone are separated from one another impacted fracture - fracture in which one broken end is wedged into the other broken end | | 9. | break - the occurrence of breaking; "the break in the dam threatened the valley" | | 10. | break - 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"alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" | | 11. | break - the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or poolbilliards - any of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls stroke, shot - (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot requires good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot" | | 12. | break - (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving; "he was up two breaks in the second set"score - the act of scoring in a game or sport; "the winning score came with less than a minute left to play" lawn tennis, tennis - a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court | | 13. | break - an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; "it was presented without commercial breaks"; "there was a gap in his account"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 delay, holdup - the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time | | 14. | break - a sudden dash; "he made a break for the open door"fast break - (basketball) a rapid dash to get a shot as soon as possible after taking possession of the ball | | 15. | break - any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare; "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"score - the act of scoring in a game or sport; "the winning score came with less than a minute left to play" | | 16. |  break - an escape from jail; "the breakout was carefully planned"escape, flight - the act of escaping physically; "he made his escape from the mental hospital"; "the canary escaped from its cage"; "his flight was an indication of his guilt" | | Verb | 1. | break - terminate; "She interrupted her pregnancy"; "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty"terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I" hold on, stop - stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments; "Hold on a moment!" suspend, freeze - stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it; "Suspend the aid to the war-torn country" | | 2. |  break - become separated into pieces or fragments; "The figurine broke"; "The freshly baked loaf fell apart"burst, break open, split - come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure; "The bubble burst" puncture - be pierced or punctured; "The tire punctured" bust, burst - break open or apart suddenly and forcefully; "The dam burst" smash - break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow; "The window smashed" ladder, run - come unraveled or undone as if by snagging; "Her nylons were running" break - destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match" snap, crack - break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension; "The pipe snapped" crush - become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure; "The plastic bottle crushed against the wall" | | 3. | break - render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"damage - inflict damage upon; "The snow damaged the roof"; "She damaged the car when she hit the tree" conk out, go bad, break down, die, fail, give out, give way, break, go - 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" | | 4. | break - ruin completely; "He busted my radio!"fall apart, wear out, bust, wear, break - go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely" ruin, destroy - destroy completely; damage irreparably; "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up" analyze, break down, dissect, take apart, analyse - make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of; break down into components or essential features; "analyze a specimen"; "analyze a sentence"; "analyze a chemical compound" | | 5. | break - destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match"shatter - cause to break into many pieces; "shatter the plate" fracture - break into pieces; "The pothole fractured a bolt on the axle" break in - break so as to fall inward; "He broke in the door" dash, smash - break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over; "Smash a plate" | | 6. |  break - 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"trespass, intrude - enter unlawfully on someone's property; "Don't trespass on my land!" keep, observe - conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract" | | 7. | break - move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"break - make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing; "The ranks broke" | | 8. | break - scatter or part; "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour" | | 9. | break - force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up; "break into tears"; "erupt in anger" | | 10. | break - prevent completion; "stop the project"; "break off the negotiations"fracture - become fractured; "The tibia fractured from the blow of the iron pipe" terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I" bog down, bog - get stuck while doing something; "She bogged down many times while she wrote her dissertation" | | 11. | break - 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?"crack - gain unauthorized access computers with malicious intentions; "she cracked my password"; "crack a safe" trespass, intrude - enter unlawfully on someone's property; "Don't trespass on my land!" | | 12. | break - make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern"break - be broken in; "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress" | | 13. | break - fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; "This sentence violates the rules of syntax" | | 14. | break - surpass in excellence; "She bettered her own record"; "break a record"outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surpass, exceed, surmount - be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all others in its class" | | 15. |  break - 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"blackwash - bring (information) out of concealment muckrake - explore and expose misconduct and scandals concerning public figures; "This reporter was well-known for his muckraking" blow - cause to be revealed and jeopardized; "The story blew their cover"; "The double agent was blown by the other side" out - reveal (something) about somebody's identity or lifestyle; "The gay actor was outed last week"; "Someone outed a CIA agent" spring - produce or disclose suddenly or unexpectedly; "He sprang these news on me just as I was leaving" betray, bewray - reveal unintentionally; "Her smile betrayed her true feelings" confide - reveal in private; tell confidentially leak - tell anonymously; "The news were leaked to the paper" tell - let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late" reveal - disclose directly or through prophets; "God rarely reveal his plans for Mankind" | | 16. | break - come into being; "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air"become, get, go - enter or assume a certain state or condition; "He became annoyed when he heard the bad news"; "It must be getting more serious"; "her face went red with anger"; "She went into ecstasy"; "Get going!" | | 17. | break - 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"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" break - render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!" croak, decease, die, drop dead, buy the farm, cash in one's chips, give-up the ghost, kick the bucket, pass away, perish, snuff it, pop off, expire, conk, exit, choke, go, pass - pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life; "She died from cancer"; "The children perished in the fire"; "The patient went peacefully"; "The old guy kicked the bucket at the age of 102" go down, crash - stop operating; "My computer crashed last night"; "The system goes down at least once a week" blow out, burn out, blow - melt, break, or become otherwise unusable; "The lightbulbs blew out"; "The fuse blew" misfire - fail to fire or detonate; "The guns misfired" | | 18. | break - interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns"break up, part, split, split up, separate, break - 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" | | 19. | break - make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing; "The ranks broke"break away, break out, break - move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security" | | 20. | break - curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke"cave in, collapse, fall in, give way, founder, give, break - 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" | | 21. | break - lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"blunt, deaden - make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation; "Terror blunted her feelings"; "deaden a sound" deafen - make soundproof; "deafen a room" deaden, damp, dampen - make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible; "muffle the message" | | 22. | break - be broken in; "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" break in, break - make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern" | | 23. | break - come to an end; "The heat wave finally broke yesterday"end, cease, terminate, finish, stop - have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo" | | 24. | break - vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity; "The flat plain was broken by tall mesas"vary, alter, change - become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence; "her mood changes in accordance with the weather"; "The supermarket's selection of vegetables varies according to the season" | | 25. | break - cause to give up a habit; "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes"break - give up; "break cigarette smoking" | | 26. | break - give up; "break cigarette smoking"break - cause to give up a habit; "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes" | | 27. | break - come forth or begin from a state of latency; "The first winter storm broke over New York" | | 28. | break - happen or take place; "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months"colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech | | 29. | break - cause the failure or ruin of; "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"; "This play will either make or break the playwright"ruin - destroy or cause to fail; "This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election" make - assure the success of; "A good review by this critic will make your play!" | | 30. | break - invalidate by judicial action; "The will was broken" | | 31. | break - 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"disunify, break apart - break up or separate; "The country is disunifying"; "Yugoslavia broke apart after 1989" break with - end a relationship; "China broke with Russia" split up, divorce - get a divorce; formally terminate a marriage; "The couple divorced after only 6 months" secede, splinter, break away - withdraw from an organization or communion; "After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away" break away, break - interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns" | | 32. | break - assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; "She was demoted because she always speaks up"; "He was broken down to Sergeant"sideline - remove from the center of activity or attention; place into an inferior position; "The outspoken cabinet member was sidelined by the President" reduce - bring to humbler or weaker state or condition; "He reduced the population to slavery" | | 33. | break - reduce to bankruptcy; "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!"; "The slump in the financial markets smashed him" | | 34. | break - change directions suddenlyswitch, change, shift - lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a different brand of beer"; "She switched psychiatrists"; "The car changed lanes" | | 35. | break - emerge from the surface of a body of water; "The whales broke"appear - come into sight or view; "He suddenly appeared at the wedding"; "A new star appeared on the horizon" | | 36. |  break - 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"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" abandon, give up - stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims; "He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage"; "Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations" flop - fall loosely; "He flopped into a chair" break - curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke" | | 37. | break - do a break dance; "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner" | | 38. | break - exchange for smaller units of money; "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy"exchange, convert, commute, change - exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category; "Could you convert my dollars into pounds?"; "He changed his name"; "convert centimeters into inches"; "convert holdings into shares" break up, break - destroy the completeness of a set of related items; "The book dealer would not break the set" | | 39. | break - destroy the completeness of a set of related items; "The book dealer would not break the set"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" break - exchange for smaller units of money; "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy" | | 40. | break - make the opening shot that scatters the ballsbilliards - any of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls shoot - throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective; "shoot craps"; "shoot a golf ball" | | 41. | break - separate from a clinch, in boxing; "The referee broke the boxers" | | 42. | break - go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"fray, frazzle - wear away by rubbing; "The friction frayed the sleeve" bust, break - ruin completely; "He busted my radio!" | | 43. | break - break a piece from a whole; "break a branch from a tree"detach - cause to become detached or separated; take off; "detach the skin from the chicken before you eat it" | | 44. | break - become punctured or penetrated; "The skin broke"break - pierce or penetrate; "The blade broke her skin" | | 45. | break - pierce or penetrate; "The blade broke her skin"penetrate, perforate - pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance; "The bullet penetrated her chest" break - become punctured or penetrated; "The skin broke" | | 46. | break - be released or become known; of news; "News of her death broke in the morning"disclose, let on, divulge, expose, give away, let out, reveal, unwrap, discover, bring out, break - 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" leak out, leak - be leaked; "The news leaked out despite his secrecy" | | 47. | break - cease an action temporarily; "We pause for station identification"; "let's break for lunch"take five - take a break for five minutes; "The musicians took five during the rehearsal" take ten - take a ten minute break; "The players took ten during the long rehearsal" | | 48. | break - interrupt the flow of current in; "break a circuit" | | 49. | break - undergo breaking; "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages" | | 50. | break - find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof"break - find the solution or key to; "break the code" ruin, destroy - destroy completely; damage irreparably; "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up" | | 51. | break - find the solution or key to; "break the code"figure out, puzzle out, solve, lick, work out, work - find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem" break - find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof" | | 52. | break - change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another; "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"switch, change, shift - lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a different brand of beer"; "She switched psychiatrists"; "The car changed lanes" | | 53. | break - happen; "Report the news as it develops"; "These political movements recrudesce from time to time"develop - be gradually disclosed or unfolded; become manifest; "The plot developed slowly"; break out, erupt - start abruptly; "After 1989, peace broke out in the former East Bloc" come through, break through - penetrate; "The sun broke through the clouds"; "The rescue team broke through the wall in the mine shaft" | | 54. | break - become fractured; break or crack on the surface only; "The glass cracked when it was heated"change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" chink, check - make cracks or chinks in; "The heat checked the paint" crack - cause to become cracked; "heat and light cracked the back of the leather chair" crack - break partially but keep its integrity; "The glass cracked" | | 55. | break - crack; of the male voice in puberty; "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election" | | 56. | break - fall sharply; "stock prices broke"decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" | | 57. | break - fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"fracture - break (a bone); "She broke her clavicle" | | 58. | break - diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient's fever broke last night"decrease, diminish, lessen, fall - decrease in size, extent, or range; "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper" | | 59. | break - weaken or destroy in spirit or body; "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"weaken - lessen the strength of; "The fever weakened his body" |
break verb 1. shatter, separate, destroy, split, divide, crack, snap, smash, crush, fragment, demolish, sever, trash ( slang) disintegrate, splinter, smash to smithereens, shiver << OPPOSITE repair verb 4. disobey, breach, defy, violate, disregard, flout, infringe, contravene, transgress, go counter to, infract Law << OPPOSITE obey verb 7. end, stop, cut, drop, give up, abandon, suspend, interrupt, terminate, put an end to, discontinue, pull the plug on verb 9. ruin, destroy, crush, humiliate, bring down, bankrupt, degrade, impoverish, demote, make bankrupt, bring to ruin verb 13. be revealed, come out, be reported, be published, be announced, be made public, be proclaimed, be let out, be imparted, be divulged, come out in the wash noun 17. fracture, opening, tear, hole, split, crack, gap, rent, breach, rift, rupture, gash, cleft, fissure break down 1. stop working, stop, seize up, conk out ( informal) go kaput ( informal) go phut, cark it Austral., N.Z. ( slang) break in 1. break and enter, enter, gain access 2. interrupt, intervene, interfere, intrude, burst in, interject, butt in, barge in, interpose, put your oar in, put your two cents in U.S. ( slang) break out 2. escape, flee, bolt, burst out, get free, break loose, abscond, do a bunk Brit. ( slang) do a Skase Austral. ( informal) 3. erupt, gush, flare up, burst out, burst forth, pour forth break something off detach, separate, divide, cut off, pull off, sever, part, remove, splinter, tear off, snap off break up  Translationsbreak [breɪk] vb [ pt broke, pp broken] to break free or loose vi → escaparse; to have or take a break ( few minutes) → descansar; vi → estropearse; ( AUT) → averiarse, descomponerse (LAM) [ person] → romper a llorarbreak in vt [+ horse etc] → domar vi [burglar] → forzar una entrada break into vt fus [+ house] → forzar break off vi [ speaker] → pararse, detenerse; [ branch] → partir to break out in spots → salir a algn granosbreak through vi the sun broke through → asomó el sol vt fus [+ defences, barrier, crowd] → abrirse paso por break up vi [ partnership] → disolverse; [ friends] → romper break [breɪk] [ broke , pt , broken , pp ] [brəuk, ˈbrəukən] vt → casser, briser [+ promise]; rompre [+ law]; violerto break the news to sb → annoncer la nouvelle à qn; break in vt [+ horse etc] → dresser break |
