Break

/bɹeɪk/ noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.
  • Grammar: break is listed as noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: burst, bust, fail, fracture.
  • Useful contrasts: common pedagogical term, compactest, educational term.
  • Usage evidence: I slept a little during lunch break because I was so tired.

How to use "break"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "break" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "break" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "break" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "break" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "break" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "burst" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "break", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

    "The femur has a clean break and so should heal easily."

  2. 2
    A section of extended repetition of the percussion break to a song, created by a hip-hop DJ as rhythmic dance music.

    "The smooth criminal on beat breaks / Never put me in your box if your shit eats tapes"

  3. 3
    an escape from jail wordnet
  4. 4
    A physical space that opens up in something or between two things.

    "The sun came out in a break in the clouds."

  5. 5
    any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare wordnet
Show 45 more definitions
  1. 6
    An interruption of continuity; departure from or rupture with.

    "Work commenced at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday and continued without break until 4 a.m. on Monday morning, in the course of which three shifts of upwards of 90 men each and three steam cranes were employed."

  2. 7
    a sudden dash wordnet
  3. 8
    A rest or pause, usually from work.

    "Let’s take a five-minute break."

  4. 9
    the act of breaking something wordnet
  5. 10
    A rest or pause, usually from work.; A time for students to talk or play between lessons. UK
  6. 11
    an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity wordnet
  7. 12
    A rest or pause, usually from work.; A scheduled interval of days or weeks between periods of school instruction; a holiday.

    "winter break, spring break"

  8. 13
    (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving wordnet
  9. 14
    A short holiday.

    "a weekend break on the Isle of Wight"

  10. 15
    the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool wordnet
  11. 16
    A temporary split with a romantic partner.

    "I think we need a break."

  12. 17
    a pause from doing something (as work) wordnet
  13. 18
    An interval or intermission between two parts of a performance, for example a theatre show, broadcast, or sports game.

    "But they marginally improved after the break as Didier Drogba hit the post."

  14. 19
    an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion) wordnet
  15. 20
    A significant change in circumstance, attitude, perception, or focus of attention.

    "big break"

  16. 21
    a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions) wordnet
  17. 22
    A sudden fall in prices on the stock exchange.

    "Following the invasion of France by the Germans in May of 1940, the securities markets experienced a break in prices."

  18. 23
    an unexpected piece of good luck wordnet
  19. 24
    The beginning (of the morning).

    "daybreak"

  20. 25
    the occurrence of breaking wordnet
  21. 26
    An act of escaping.

    "to make a break for it; to make a break for the door"

  22. 27
    some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity wordnet
  23. 28
    The separation between lines, paragraphs or pages of a written text.

    "No matter how much text you add above the break, the text after the break will always appear at the top of a new page."

  24. 29
    (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other wordnet
  25. 30
    A keystroke or other signal that causes a program to terminate or suspend execution.
  26. 31
    breaking of hard tissue such as bone wordnet
  27. 32
    Ellipsis of breakpoint. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  28. 33
    a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something wordnet
  29. 34
    A change, particularly the end of a spell of persistent good or bad weather. British
  30. 35
    A game won by the receiving player(s).
  31. 36
    The first shot in a game of billiards.
  32. 37
    The number of points scored by one player in one visit to the table.
  33. 38
    The counter-attack.

    "Blackpool were not without their opportunities - thanks to their willingness to commit and leave men forward even when under severe pressure - and they looked very capable of scoring on the break."

  34. 39
    The curve imparted to the ball's motion on the green due to slope or grass texture.
  35. 40
    A place where waves break (that is, where waves pitch or spill forward creating white water).

    "The final break in the Greenmount area is Kirra Point."

  36. 41
    The start of a horse race.

    "Cigar was distracted at the break and let his five opponents get the jump."

  37. 42
    The opening of packages of cards for a collectible card game, often for further distribution to paying customers.
  38. 43
    A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind. dated
  39. 44
    Alternative form of brake (“cart or carriage without a body, for breaking in horses”) alt-of, alternative
  40. 45
    A sharp bit or snaffle.

    "Pampered jades […] which need nor break nor bit."

  41. 46
    A short section of music, often between verses, in which some performers stop while others continue.

    "The fiddle break was amazing; it was a pity the singer came back in on the wrong note."

  42. 47
    The point in the musical scale at which a woodwind instrument is designed to overblow, that is, to move from its lower to its upper register.

    "Crossing the break smoothly is one of the first lessons the young clarinettist needs to master."

  43. 48
    The transition area between a singer's vocal registers; the passaggio.

    "34. Of the Registers of the Voice - All singers have observed that there are certain parts of the Vocal Scale where a break, as it is called, seldom fails to occur."

  44. 49
    An area along a river that features steep banks, bluffs, or gorges (e.g., Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, US). in-plural
  45. 50
    An error. obsolete, slang

    ""Maybe he will some day," says the Missus, and then her and Bessie pretended like they'd made a break and was embarrassed."

Verb
  1. 1
    To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly. ergative, intransitive, transitive

    "If the vase falls to the floor, it might break."

  2. 2
    To B-boy; to breakdance. slang

    "Let the poppers pop and the breakers break / We're cool, cool cats, it's like that"

  3. 3
    weaken or destroy in spirit or body wordnet
  4. 4
    To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.; To crack or fracture (bone) under a physical strain. ergative, intransitive, transitive

    "His ribs broke under the weight of the rocks piled on his chest."

  5. 5
    To brake. rare

    "Breaking heavily, now on a 1 in 39 gradient, the train makes as if to cross the Tamar at once, only to swing sharply to the right, […]."

Show 107 more definitions
  1. 6
    diminish or discontinue abruptly wordnet
  2. 7
    To divide (something, often money) into smaller units. transitive

    "Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?"

  3. 8
    fracture a bone of wordnet
  4. 9
    To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of. transitive

    "Her child’s death broke Angela."

  5. 10
    fall sharply wordnet
  6. 11
    To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.; To turn an animal into a beast of burden. transitive

    "Colonel: See, gentlemen? Any horse could be broken."

  7. 12
    make submissive, obedient, or useful wordnet
  8. 13
    To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief. intransitive

    "My heart is breaking."

  9. 14
    be broken in wordnet
  10. 15
    To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate. transitive

    "I’ve got to break this habit I have of biting my nails."

  11. 16
    crack; of the male voice in puberty wordnet
  12. 17
    To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.; To end the run of (a play). transitive

    "In July Alexander broke the run and went on tour, as was his custom. He believed in keeping in touch with provincial audiences and how wise he was!"

  13. 18
    render inoperable or ineffective wordnet
  14. 19
    To ruin financially. transitive

    "The recession broke some small businesses."

  15. 20
    become separated into pieces or fragments wordnet
  16. 21
    To fail in business; to go broke, to become bankrupt. intransitive, obsolete

    "He that puts all upon adventures doth oftentimes break, and come to poverty."

  17. 22
    destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments wordnet
  18. 23
    Of prices on the stock exchange: to fall suddenly. intransitive

    "With a few exceptions, stock prices tend to follow the overall market averages. When you have a market decline, therefore, many stocks share the same overall chart pattern. Prices break and go sideways for a period of time."

  19. 24
    become fractured; break or crack on the surface only wordnet
  20. 25
    To violate; to fail to adhere to. transitive

    "When you go to Vancouver, promise me you won't break the law."

  21. 26
    happen wordnet
  22. 27
    To go down, in terms of temperature, indicating that the most dangerous part of the illness has passed. intransitive

    "Susan's fever broke at about 3 AM, and the doctor said the worst was over."

  23. 28
    terminate or end wordnet
  24. 29
    To end. intransitive

    "The forecast says the hot weather will break by midweek."

  25. 30
    lessen in force or effect wordnet
  26. 31
    To begin or end. intransitive

    "We ran to find shelter before the storm broke."

  27. 32
    stop operating or functioning wordnet
  28. 33
    To arrive. intransitive

    "Morning has broken."

  29. 34
    change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another wordnet
  30. 35
    To render (a game) unchallenging by altering its rules or exploiting loopholes or weaknesses in them in a way that gives a player an unfair advantage. slang, transitive

    "Changing the rules to let white have three extra queens would break chess."

  31. 36
    come into being wordnet
  32. 37
    To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether. intransitive, transitive

    "On the hottest day of the year the refrigerator broke."

  33. 38
    find the solution or key to wordnet
  34. 39
    To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.; To cause (some feature of a program or piece of software) to stop functioning properly; to cause a regression. intransitive, specifically, transitive

    "Adding 64-bit support broke backward compatibility with earlier versions."

  35. 40
    find a flaw in wordnet
  36. 41
    To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar. transitive

    "to break a seal"

  37. 42
    undergo breaking wordnet
  38. 43
    To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.; To cause the shell of (an egg) to crack, so that the inside (yolk) is accessible. specifically, transitive
  39. 44
    interrupt the flow of current in wordnet
  40. 45
    To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.; To open (a safe) without using the correct key, combination, or the like. specifically, transitive
  41. 46
    cease an action temporarily wordnet
  42. 47
    To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce. transitive

    "The cavalry were not able to break the British squares."

  43. 48
    make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret wordnet
  44. 49
    To collapse into surf, after arriving in shallow water. intransitive

    "There are many places on the reef that break during the summer."

  45. 50
    be released or become known; of news wordnet
  46. 51
    To burst forth; to make its way; to come into view. intransitive

    "The Clouds are ſtill above; and, while I ſpeak, / A ſecond deluge o'er our head may break."

  47. 52
    surpass in excellence wordnet
  48. 53
    To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily; to go on break. intransitive

    "Let's break for lunch."

  49. 54
    pierce or penetrate wordnet
  50. 55
    To interrupt (a fall) by inserting something so that the falling object does not (immediately) hit something else beneath. transitive

    "He survived the jump out the window because the bushes below broke his fall."

  51. 56
    become punctured or penetrated wordnet
  52. 57
    To disclose or make known an item of news, a band, etc. ergative, transitive

    "The newsman wanted to break a big story, something that would make him famous."

  53. 58
    break a piece from a whole wordnet
  54. 59
    To become audible suddenly. intransitive

    "Like the crash of thunderbolts…, the sound of musquetry broke over the lawn, …."

  55. 60
    go to pieces wordnet
  56. 61
    To change a steady state abruptly. transitive

    "His coughing broke the silence."

  57. 62
    ruin completely wordnet
  58. 63
    To (attempt to) disengage and flee to; to make a run for. transitive

    "As the last firing of the big guns begins to die down, the German light forces still fighting to the west begin to make their choices. Some break for the open sea; others run for the German-occupied coast; still others stand and die. A small group decide to strike their colors, in imitation of three of the larger German ships."

  59. 64
    separate from a clinch, in boxing wordnet
  60. 65
    To suddenly become. copulative, informal

    "Things began breaking bad for him when his parents died."

  61. 66
    make the opening shot that scatters the balls wordnet
  62. 67
    To become deeper at puberty. intransitive
  63. 68
    destroy the completeness of a set of related items wordnet
  64. 69
    To alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men, generally to go up, in women, sometimes to go down; to crack. intransitive

    "His voice breaks when he gets emotional."

  65. 70
    exchange for smaller units of money wordnet
  66. 71
    To de-emulsify. intransitive

    "Conversely, as the emulsion breaks and the system returns to the original state, energy is released."

  67. 72
    force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up wordnet
  68. 73
    To surpass or do better than (a specific number); to do better than (a record), setting a new record. transitive

    "He broke the men's 100-meter record."

  69. 74
    do a break dance wordnet
  70. 75
    To win a game (against one's opponent) as receiver. transitive

    "He needs to break serve to win the match."

  71. 76
    curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves wordnet
  72. 77
    To make the first shot; to scatter the balls from the initial neat arrangement. intransitive

    "Is it your or my turn to break?"

  73. 78
    break down, literally or metaphorically wordnet
  74. 79
    To remove one of the two men on (a point). transitive
  75. 80
    emerge from the surface of a body of water wordnet
  76. 81
    To demote; to reduce the military rank of. transitive

    "Sir Reginald Wingate, High Commissioner in Egypt, was happy for the success of the work he had advocated for years. I grudged him this happiness; for McMahon, who took the actual risk of starting it, had been broken just before prosperity began."

  77. 82
    scatter or part wordnet
  78. 83
    To end (a connection); to disconnect. transitive

    "The referee ordered the boxers to break the clinch."

  79. 84
    make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing wordnet
  80. 85
    To counter-attack. intransitive

    "The Baggies almost hit back instantly when Graham Dorrans broke from midfield and pulled the trigger from 15 yards but Paul Robinson did superbly to tip the Scot's drive around the post."

  81. 86
    move away or escape suddenly wordnet
  82. 87
    To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate. obsolete, transitive

    "Katharine, break thy mind to me."

  83. 88
    change directions suddenly wordnet
  84. 89
    To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength. intransitive

    "See how the dean begins to break; / Poor gentleman he droops apace."

  85. 90
    reduce to bankruptcy wordnet
  86. 91
    To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of. transitive

    "to break flax"

  87. 92
    assign to a lower position; reduce in rank wordnet
  88. 93
    To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss. transitive

    "when I see a great officer broke."

  89. 94
    discontinue an association or relation; go different ways wordnet
  90. 95
    To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change gait. intransitive

    "to break into a run or gallop"

  91. 96
    invalidate by judicial action wordnet
  92. 97
    To fall out; to terminate friendship. archaic, intransitive

    "c. 1700 Jeremy Collier, On Friendship To break upon the score of danger or expense is to be mean and narrow-spirited."

  93. 98
    interrupt a continued activity wordnet
  94. 99
    To terminate the execution of a program before normal completion.
  95. 100
    cause the failure or ruin of wordnet
  96. 101
    To suspend the execution of a program during debugging so that the state of the program can be investigated.
  97. 102
    act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises wordnet
  98. 103
    To cause, or allow the occurrence of, a line break.

    "zero-width non-breaking space"

  99. 104
    enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act wordnet
  100. 105
    happen or take place wordnet
  101. 106
    come forth or begin from a state of latency wordnet
  102. 107
    fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns wordnet
  103. 108
    put an end to a state or an activity wordnet
  104. 109
    give up wordnet
  105. 110
    cause to give up a habit wordnet
  106. 111
    vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity wordnet
  107. 112
    come to an end (of an event) wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
burstbustfailfracturefracturego against

Antonyms

common pedagogical termcompactesteducational termfixed

Example

"I slept a little during lunch break because I was so tired."

Common questions

What does "break" mean?

An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

What is a synonym for "break"?

Common synonyms include: burst, bust, fail, fracture, fracture, go against.

How do you use "break" in a sentence?

I slept a little during lunch break because I was so tired.

How do you pronounce "break"?

Pronounced /bɹeɪk/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English breken, from Old English brecan (“to break”), from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”). Doublet of bray. Cognates Cognates of Germanic origin include Scots brek (“to break”), West Frisian brekke (“to break”), Dutch breken (“to break”), Low German breken (“to break”), German brechen (“to break”), French broyer (“to crush, grind”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan, “to break, destroy”), Norwegian brek (“desire, yearning”). Also cognate with Albanian brishtë (“fragile”), Latin frangō (“break, break up, shatter”, verb), whence English fracture and other terms – fragile, frail, fraction, and fragment. The modern pronunciation shows an irregular change of Early Modern English /ɛː/ to /eɪ/ in the standard language; contrast this with the development of other words such as speak and wreak.

Etymology 2

Clipping of breakdown (the percussion break of songs chosen by a DJ for use in hip-hop music) and see also breakdancing.

More for "break"

Synonyms

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