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1. Dictionary

   break

   /breɪk/

   verb

   • 1. separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain: "the branch broke with a loud snap" Similar shattersmashsmash to smithereenscracksnapfracturefragmentsplinterdisintegratefall to bitsfall to piecessplitburstblow outtearrendseverruptureseparatedivideinformal:bustrare:shiverOpposite repairmend
   • ▪ sustain an injury involving the fracture of a bone or bones in a part of the body: "she had broken her leg in two places" Similar fracturecracksmash
   • ▪ cause a cut or graze in (the skin): "the bite had scarcely broken the skin" Similar piercepuncturepenetrateperforatecutgrazemake a flesh wound in
   • ▪ make or become inoperative: "the machine has broken and they can't fix it until next week" Similar stop workingcease to work/functionbreak downgo wronggive outdevelop a faultmalfunctionbe damagedbe unusablecrashinformal:go kaputgo/be on the blinkdiegive up the ghostconk outgo phutgo haywirehave had itpack up
   • ▪ (of the amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus) be discharged when the sac is ruptured in the first stages of labour: "she realized her waters had broken"
   • ▪ open (a safe) forcibly. informal
   • ▪ use (a banknote) to pay for something and receive change out of the transaction: "she had to break a tenner"
   • ▪ (of two boxers or wrestlers) come out of a clinch, especially at the referee's command: "I was acting as referee and telling them to break"
   • ▪ make the first stroke at the beginning of a game of billiards, pool, or snooker.
   • ▪ unfurl (a flag or sail).
   • ▪ succeed in deciphering (a code): "ciphers are easily broken by the new wonder machines" Similar decipherdecodedecryptunravelsolvework outinformal:crackfigure out
   • ▪ disprove (an alibi).
   • 2. interrupt (a sequence, course, or continuous state): "this broke the pattern of generations remaining in the place where they were born" Similar interruptdisturbinterfere with
   • ▪ put an end to (a silence) by speaking or making contact: "it was some time before he broke the silence"
   • ▪ make a pause in (a journey): British "we will break our journey in Venice"
   • ▪ rest or stop proceedings for a while: "at mid-morning they broke for coffee" Similar stoppausetake/have a breakhave a restrecesssuspend proceedingsinformal:knock offtake/have a breathertake fiveOpposite resume
   • ▪ lessen the impact of (a fall): "she put out an arm to break her fall" Similar cushionlessen/reduce/soften the impact oftake the edge offdiminishmoderatemitigate
   • ▪ disconnect or interrupt (an electric circuit): "a multimeter able to measure current without having to break the circuit under test"
   • ▪ stop oneself from engaging in (a habitual practice): "try to break the habit of adding salt at the table" Similar give uprelinquishdropget out ofinformal:kickshakepack inquit
   • ▪ surpass (a record): "the film broke box office records in the US" Similar exceedsurpassbeatbettercaptoptrumpoutdooutstripgo beyondeclipseput in the shadeinformal:leave standing
   • 3. fail to observe (a law, regulation, or agreement): "the council says it will prosecute traders who break the law" Similar contraveneviolatefail to comply withfail to observedisobeyinfringebreachcommit a breach oftransgress againstdefyfloutfly in the face ofignoredisregardinfractOpposite keepabide by
   • ▪ fail to continue with (a self-imposed discipline): "diets started without preparation are broken all the time"
   • 4. crush the emotional strength, spirit, or resistance of: "the idea was to better the prisoners, not to break them"
   • ▪ (of a person's emotional strength or control) give way: "her self-control finally broke" Similar give waycollapsecrackbe overcomegive incave inyieldcrumplego to pieces
   • ▪ destroy the power of (a movement or organization): "the management are out to break the union" Similar destroycrushsmashquashdefeatvanquishovercomeoverpoweroverwhelmcripplebring someone to their kneesweakenenfeeblesapsuppresssubduecowdispiritimpairunderminedemoralizeincapacitateextinguish
   • ▪ destroy the effectiveness of (a strike), typically by bringing in other people to replace the striking workers: "the company has attempted to break the strike using non-union labour"
   • ▪ tame or train (a horse).
   • 5. (of the weather) change suddenly, especially after a fine spell: "the weather broke and thunder rumbled through a leaden sky" Similar changeundergo a changealtershiftmetamorphose
   • ▪ (of a storm) begin violently: "when all were aboard, the storm broke"
   • ▪ (of dawn or a day) begin as the sun rises: "dawn was just breaking" Similar dawnbeginstartcome into beingcome forthemergeappear
   • ▪ (of clouds) move apart and begin to disperse: "on the seventh of September the clouds broke for the first time"
   • ▪ (of waves) curl over and dissolve into foam: "the Caribbean sea was breaking gently on the shore" Similar crashdashbeatpoundlashbatter
   • ▪ (of a person's voice) falter and change tone, due to emotion: "her voice broke as she relived the experience" Similar falterquaverquivertrembleshake
   • ▪ (of a boy's voice) change in tone and register at puberty: "after his voice broke, he left the choir"
   • ▪ (of a vowel) develop into a diphthong, under the influence of an adjacent sound.
   • ▪ (of prices on the stock exchange) fall sharply.
   • 6. (of news or a scandal) suddenly become public: "since the news broke I've received thousands of wonderful letters" Similar eruptburst outbreak out
   • ▪ make bad news known to (someone): "he was trying to break the terrible news gently to his father" Similar revealdisclosedivulgelet outannouncetellimpartmake publicmake knownreleaseproclaim
   • 7. (chiefly of an attacking player or team, or of a military force) make a rush or dash in a particular direction: "Mitchell won possession and broke quickly, allowing Hughes to score"
   • ▪ (of a bowled cricket ball) change direction on bouncing, due to spin.
   • ▪ (of a ball) rebound unpredictably: "the ball broke to Craig but his shot rebounded from the post"

   noun

   • 1. an interruption of continuity or uniformity: "the magazine has been published without a break since 1950" Similar interruptionintervalgaphiatuslapse of timelacunadiscontinuationdiscontinuancediscontinuitysuspensiondisruptioncut-offstopstoppagecessationcaesuraarchaic:surcease
   • ▪ an act of separating oneself from a pre-existing state of affairs: "a break with the past"
   • ▪ a change in the weather: "a week or so may pass without a break in the weather" Similar changealterationvariation
   • ▪ a change of line, paragraph, or page: "dotted lines on the screen show page breaks"
   • ▪ a change of tone in a person's voice due to emotion: "there was a break in her voice now"
   • ▪ an interruption in an electric circuit.
   • ▪ the winning of a game against an opponent's serve.
   • 2. a pause in work or during an activity or event: "I need a break from mental activity" Similar restrespiteintervalbreathing spacelullrecessstoppausetea breakcoffee breakintermissioninterludeentr'acteinformal:breatherlet-uptime outdowntimesmoko
   • ▪ an interval during the school day: British "the bell went for break"
   • ▪ a short holiday: "a weekend break in the Cotswolds" Similar time offperiod of leaveholidayminibreakvacationinformal:staycationvacvacay
   • ▪ a short solo or instrumental passage in jazz or popular music.
   • ▪ dance music featuring breakbeats.
   • 3. a gap or opening: "the track bends left through a break in the hedge" Similar gapopeningspaceholebreachchinkcrackfissurecleftriftchasmtearsplitslitrentrupture
   • 4. an instance of breaking something, or the point where something is broken: "he was stretchered off with a break to the leg"
   • 5. a rush or dash in a particular direction, especially by an attacking player or team: "Norwich scored on a rare break with 11 minutes left"
   • ▪ an escape, typically from prison. informal
   • ▪ a change in the direction of a bowled ball on bouncing.
   • 6. an opportunity or chance, especially one leading to professional success: informal "he got his break as an entertainer on a TV music hall show" Similar opportunitystroke of luckchanceopeningfoot in the door
   • 7. a consecutive series of successful shots, scoring a specified number of points: "a break of 83 put him in front for the first time"
   • ▪ a player's turn to make the opening shot of a game: "whose break is it?"
   • 8. a bud or shoot sprouting from a stem.

   Word Origin Old Englishbrecan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch breken and German brechen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin frangere ‘to break’.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • B

     3

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

   • A

     1

   • K

     5

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishBREAK | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   BREAK definition: 1. to (cause something to) separate suddenly or violently into two or more pieces, or to (cause…. Learn more.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › breakBreak Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › break

   • Cached

   : the action or act of entering, escaping, or emerging from something (such as darkness) often in a sudden or violent way : the action or act of breaking in, breaking out, or breaking forth at break of day

4. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › breakBreak - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › break

   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.

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishBREAK definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   When an object breaks or when you break it, it suddenly separates into two or more pieces, often because it has been hit or dropped.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › breakBreak - definition of break by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › break

   • Cached

   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.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryBREAK | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

   • Cached

   BREAK meaning: 1. to (cause something to) separate suddenly or violently into two or more pieces, or to (cause…. Learn more.

8. www.dictionary.com › browse › breakBREAK Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › break

   • Cached

   Break definition: to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments. See examples of BREAK used in a sentence.

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishBREAK | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

   • Cached

   to tell someone about something unpleasant that has happened: Who's going to break the news to his wife? break the silence. B2. to make a noise, speak, etc and end a period of silence: The silence was broken by a sudden knock at the door. break a habit/routine, etc.

10. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishbreak verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

    www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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    Definition of break verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

11. www.yourdictionary.com › breakBreak Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary

    www.yourdictionary.com › break

    • Cached

    Noun. Idiom. Filter. verb. breaking, breaks, broke, broken. To cause to come apart by force; split or crack sharply into pieces; smash; burst. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting. Break crackers for a baby. American Heritage. Similar definitions. To separate into components or parts.