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1. | [ verb ] terminate | |
Synonyms: | interrupt | |
Examples: | "She interrupted her pregnancy" "break a lucky streak" "break the cycle of poverty" |
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Related terms: | end end cut_short freeze | |
2. | [ verb ] become separated into pieces or fragments | |
Synonyms: | separate come_apart fall_apart split_up | |
Examples: | "The figurine broke" "The freshly baked loaf fell apart" |
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Related terms: | change_integrity burst snap smash puncture burst break_up crush ladder decompose fault | |
3. | [ verb ] render inoperable or ineffective | |
Examples: | "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!" |
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Related terms: | damage fail breakage | |
4. | [ verb ] destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments | |
Examples: | "He broke the glass plate" "She broke the match" |
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Related terms: | separate smash fracture break_in shatter | |
5. | [ verb ] ruin completely | |
Synonyms: | bust | |
Examples: | "He busted my radio!" |
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Related terms: | repair destroy break_down bust_up sever analyze disassemble disassemble chip breakage buster | |
6. | [ verb ] act in disregard of laws and rules | |
Synonyms: | violate transgress breach go_against infract offend | |
Examples: | "offend all laws of humanity" "violate the basic laws or human civilization" "break a law" |
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Related terms: | disrespect sin trespass sin conflict trespass misdemeanor breach wrongdoer evildoing | |
7. | [ verb ] scatter or part | |
Examples: | "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour" |
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Related terms: | disperse | |
8. | [ verb ] force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up | |
Synonyms: | burst erupt | |
Examples: | "break into tears" "erupt in anger" |
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Related terms: | express_emotion | |
9. | [ verb ] prevent completion | |
Synonyms: | stop break_off discontinue | |
Examples: | "stop the project" "break the silence" |
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Related terms: | end end interrupt leave_off bog_down fracture stop | |
10. | [ verb ] move away or escape suddenly | |
Synonyms: | break_away break_out | |
Examples: | "The horses broke from the stable" "Three inmates broke jail" "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security" |
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Related terms: | escape | |
11. | [ verb ] make submissive, obedient, or useful, as of wild animals or new items | |
Synonyms: | break_in | |
Examples: | : "The horse was tough to break" used metaphorically for people |
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Related terms: | tame domesticate | |
12. | [ noun ] some abrupt occurrence that interrupts | |
Synonyms: | abrupt_change interruption | |
Examples: | "the telephone is an annoying interruption" "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt" |
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Related terms: | happening eclipse dislocation suspension punctuation | |
13. | [ verb ] (criminal law) enter someone's property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act | |
Synonyms: | break_in | |
Examples: | "Someone broke in while I was on vacation" "They broke into my car and stole my radio!" |
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Related terms: | trespass housebreaking | |
14. | [ 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 | |
Synonyms: | disclose reveal expose declare discover give_away let_out divulge let_on impart bring_out | |
Examples: | "The auction house would not disclose the price" "She won't reveal her age" "bring out the truth" "he broke the news to her" |
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Related terms: | tell betray confide tattle leak spring blow spring muckrake out reveal blackwash come_out_of_the_closet discovery revelation disclosure exposure conveyance divulgence expose | |
15. | [ verb ] surpass in excellence | |
Synonyms: | better | |
Examples: | "She bettered her own record" "break a record" |
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Related terms: | surpass better | |
16. | [ noun ] an unexpected piece of good luck | |
Synonyms: | happy_chance good_luck | |
Examples: | "he finally got his big break" |
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Related terms: | accident | |
17. | [ verb ] come into being | |
Examples: | "light broke over the horizon" "Voices broke in the air" |
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Related terms: | become | |
18. | [ verb ] stop operating or functioning | |
Synonyms: | fail break_down die go_bad conk_out give_out go give_way | |
Examples: | "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" |
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Related terms: | change blow_out misfire crash malfunction die failure | |
19. | [ verb ] fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns | |
Synonyms: | violate go_against | |
Examples: | "He violated the agreement to stay away from his ex-wife" "You are breaking the law!" |
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Related terms: | conform_to fly_in_the_face_of violation | |
20. | [ noun ] the act of breaking something | |
Synonyms: | breaking breakage | |
Examples: | "the breakage was unavoidable" |
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Related terms: | change_of_integrity fracture chip smashing rupture | |
21. | [ verb ] be broken in | |
Examples: | "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress" |
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Related terms: | change break_in | |
22. | [ noun ] (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other | |
Synonyms: | geological_fault fault_line fracture shift fault | |
Examples: | "they built it right over a geological fault" |
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Related terms: | crack strike-slip_fault inclined_fault San_Andreas_Fault denali_fault fault_line geology | |
23. | [ verb ] curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves | |
Examples: | "The surf broke" |
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Related terms: | collapse surf | |
24. | [ verb ] interrupt a continued activity | |
Synonyms: | break_away | |
Examples: | "She had broken with the traditional patterns" |
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Related terms: | separate | |
25. | [ verb ] lessen in force or effect | |
Synonyms: | soften damp weaken dampen | |
Examples: | "soften a shock" "break a fall" |
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Related terms: | deaden damp deafen weakener | |
26. | [ noun ] a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions) | |
Synonyms: | breach severance rift falling_out rupture | |
Examples: | "they hoped to avoid a break in relations" |
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Related terms: | separation sever | |
27. | [ noun ] a pause from doing something (as work) | |
Synonyms: | respite time_out recess | |
Examples: | "we took a 10-minute break" "he took time out to recuperate" |
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Related terms: | pause spring_break pause | |
28. | [ verb ] (military) make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing (military usage) | |
Examples: | "The ranks broke" |
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Related terms: | flee military | |
29. | [ verb ] discontinue an association or relation; go different ways | |
Synonyms: | break_up split part separate split_up | |
Examples: | "The business partners broke over a tax question" "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage" "My friend and I split up" |
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Related terms: | secede disassociate dissassociate break_with divorce disunify give_the_axe separation dissolution rupture legal_separation | |
30. | [ verb ] destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments | |
Examples: | "He broke the glass plate" "She broke the match" |
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Related terms: | cancel separate smash fracture shatter break_in breaker | |
31. | [ verb ] change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another | |
Examples: | "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children" |
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Related terms: | switch | |
32. | [ verb ] cause the failure or ruin of | |
Examples: | "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage" "This play will either make or break the playwright" |
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Related terms: | make ruin | |
33. | [ verb ] find the solution or key to | |
Examples: | "break the code" |
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Related terms: | solve | |
34. | [ verb ] diminish or discontinue abruptly | |
Examples: | "The patient's fever broke last night" |
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Related terms: | decrease | |
35. | [ verb ] happen or take place | |
Examples: | "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months" (informal) |
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Related terms: | anticipate happen colloquialism | |
36. | [ verb ] (linguistics) undergo breaking | |
Examples: | "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages" |
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Related terms: | diphthongize | |
37. | [ verb ] find a flaw in | |
Examples: | "break an alibi" "break down a proof" |
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Related terms: | destroy | |
38. | [ verb ] interrupt the flow of current in | |
Examples: | "break a circuit" |
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Related terms: | interrupt circuit_breaker | |
39. | [ verb ] cease an action temporarily | |
Synonyms: | pause intermit | |
Examples: | "We pause for station identification" "let's break for lunch" |
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Related terms: | interrupt rest take_five take_ten pause respite | |
40. | [ verb ] fall sharply | |
Examples: | "stock prices broke" |
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Related terms: | decrease | |
41. | [ verb ] fracture a bone of | |
Synonyms: | fracture | |
Examples: | : "I broke my foot while playing hockey" |
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Related terms: | injure fracture fracture | |
42. | [ verb ] weaken or destroy in spirit or body | |
Examples: | "His resistance was broken" "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death" |
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Related terms: | weaken | |
43. | [ verb ] pierce or penetrate | |
Examples: | "The blade broke her skin" |
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Related terms: | penetrate | |
44. | [ verb ] be released or become known; of news | |
Synonyms: | get_around get_out | |
Examples: | "News of her death broke in the morning" |
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Related terms: | leak disclose | |
45. | [ verb ] become punctured or penetrated | |
Examples: | : "The skin broke" |
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46. | [ verb ] pierce the surface of | |
Examples: | "The fish broke the water" |
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Related terms: | penetrate pierce | |
47. | [ verb ] of the male voice in puberty | |
Examples: | "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir" |
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Related terms: | change_state | |
48. | [ verb ] go to pieces | |
Synonyms: | wear_out fall_apart bust wear | |
Examples: | "The lawn mower finally broke" "The gears wore out" "The old chair finally fell apart completely" |
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Related terms: | decay fray chip crash chip crash whittle_away wear_away wear_away wear | |
49. | [ verb ] break a piece from a whole | |
Synonyms: | snap_off break_off | |
Examples: | "break a branch from a tree" |
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Related terms: | detach breakage | |
50. | [ noun ] the occurrence of breaking | |
Examples: | "the break in the dam threatened the valley" |
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Related terms: | separation snap | |
51. | [ noun ] an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity | |
Synonyms: | interruption disruption gap | |
Examples: | "it was presented without commercial breaks" |
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Related terms: | delay interjection cut-in breaking_off cut-in heckling interrupt interrupt | |
52. | [ noun ] (sport) any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare | |
Synonyms: | open_frame | |
Examples: | "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match" |
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Related terms: | score | |
53. | [ verb ] destroy the completeness of a set of related items | |
Synonyms: | break_up | |
Examples: | "The book dealer would not break the set" |
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Related terms: | change | |
54. | [ verb ] (sport) make the opening shot that scatters the balls, in billiards or pool | |
Related terms: | shoot billiards | |
55. | [ verb ] (boxing) separate from a clinch, in boxing | |
Examples: | "The referee broke the boxers" |
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Related terms: | separate | |
56. | [ verb ] exchange for smaller units of money | |
Examples: | "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy" |
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Related terms: | change | |
57. | [ verb ] (dance) do a break dance | |
Synonyms: | break-dance break_dance | |
Examples: | "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner" |
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Related terms: | dance break_dancing | |
58. | [ verb ] happen, as of an event | |
Synonyms: | recrudesce develop | |
Examples: | "Report the news as it develops" "These political movements recrudesce from time to time" |
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Related terms: | anticipate happen erupt break_through develop development | |
59. | [ verb ] become fractured; break or crack on the surface only | |
Synonyms: | crack check | |
Examples: | "The glass cracked when it was heated" |
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Related terms: | change crack check crack fracture | |
60. | [ noun ] (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving | |
Synonyms: | break_of_serve | |
Examples: | "he was up two breaks in the second set" |
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Related terms: | score tennis | |
61. | [ verb ] emerge from the surface, as of fish in water | |
Examples: | "The whales broke" |
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Related terms: | appear | |
62. | [ verb ] break down, literally or metaphorically | |
Synonyms: | collapse fall_in cave_in give_way give founder | |
Examples: | "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" |
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Related terms: | change flop buckle slump implode abandon collapse cave_in | |
63. | [ verb ] stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments | |
Synonyms: | hold_on stop | |
Examples: | "Hold on a moment!" "We broke at noon" |
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Related terms: | interrupt arrest | |
64. | [ verb ] divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting | |
Synonyms: | break_away | |
Examples: | "break the loaf of bread" "break the crackers" |
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Related terms: | divide separate pause | |
65. | [ noun ] (medicine) breaking of hard tissue such as bone | |
Synonyms: | fracture | |
Examples: | "it was a nasty fracture" "the break seems to have been caused by a fall" |
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Related terms: | injury compression_fracture compound_fracture simple_fracture complete_fracture displaced_fracture fatigue_fracture incomplete_fracture impacted_fracture comminuted_fracture capillary_fracture depressed_fracture crack fracture fracture fracture | |
66. | [ verb ] (law) invalidate by judicial action | |
Examples: | "The will was broken" |
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Related terms: | invalidate | |
67. | [ verb ] change directions suddenly | |
Related terms: | switch | |
68. | [ verb ] assign to a lower position; reduce in rank | |
Synonyms: | relegate demote kick_downstairs bump | |
Examples: | "She was demoted because she always speaks up" "He was broken down to Sargeant" |
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Related terms: | promote delegate reduce murder relegation | |
69. | [ verb ] reduce to bankruptcy | |
Synonyms: | bankrupt smash ruin | |
Examples: | "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!" "The slump in the financial markets smashed him" |
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Related terms: | impoverish bankruptcy | |
70. | [ noun ] a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something | |
Synonyms: | pause suspension interruption intermission | |
Related terms: | time_interval letup respite delay lapse blackout halftime time-out caesura dead_air hesitate freeze | |
71. | [ noun ] (sport) the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool | |
Related terms: | stroke pool billiards | |
72. | [ verb ] come forth or begin from a state of latency | |
Examples: | "The first winter storm broke over New York" |
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Related terms: | come_forth | |
73. | [ noun ] (sport) a sudden dash | |
Examples: | "he made a break for the open door" |
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Related terms: | dash fast_break fastbreak | |
74. | [ verb ] give up | |
Examples: | : "break cigarette smoking" |
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Related terms: | discontinue | |
75. | [ verb ] cause to give up a habit | |
Examples: | "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes" |
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76. | [ verb ] vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity | |
Examples: | "The flat plain was broken by sharply mesas" |
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Related terms: | change interruption | |
77. | [ verb ] come to an end | |
Examples: | "The heat wave finally broke yesterday" |
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Related terms: | terminate end | |
78. | [ noun ] an escape from jail | |
Synonyms: | jailbreak gaolbreak prisonbreak prison-breaking breakout | |
Examples: | "the breakout was carefully planned" |
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Related terms: | escape | |
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