What does "breakaway" mean?
The act of breaking away from something.
Breakaway
/ˈbɹeɪkəweɪ/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of breaking away from something.
- Grammar: breakaway is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abjuratory, alienated, antagonistic, antiestablishment.
- Usage evidence: President Tom Jackson sent troops to the breakaway area.
How to use "breakaway"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "breakaway" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "breakaway" 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 "breakaway" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- 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.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "breakaway" is acting as adj, noun 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 "abjuratory" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "breakaway", 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 The act of breaking away from something.
"1932, Alan Lennox-Boyd, Hansard, 10 May, 1932, Finance Bill, https://web.archive.org/web/20190212095659/https://www.hansard-corpus.org/ […] this Finance Bill represents a definite breakaway from the old practice of mass bribing, vote catching, and political Finance Bills which we were in grave danger of establishing as a permanent part of our national activities."
- 2 the act of breaking away or withdrawing from wordnet
- 3 A group of riders which has gone ahead of the peloton.
"The summit of the climb came 38km from the end of stage 14, which began in Limoux and ended in Foix in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and the incident occurred as the peloton emerged into the light and passed under the banner at the top, a quarter of an hour behind a five-man breakaway."
- 4 A situation in the game where one or more players of a team attack towards the goal of the other team without having any defenders in front of them.
"2015, Eric MacKenzie, "Canucks fall 2-1 to Oilers in OT," vancouver24hrs.ca, 18 October, 2015, https://web.archive.org/web/20151020145050/http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/10/19/canucks-fall-2-1-to-oilers-in-ot With the game tied 1-1 early in the third, Henrik got free on a breakaway and was stopped by Oilers goalie Anders Nilsson […]"
- 5 The act of getting away from one's opponent; the separation of the boxers after a spell of infighting.
"2011, Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott (eds.), The First Black Boxing Champions: Essays on Fighters of the 1800s to the 1920s, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Appendix: The Great Fights, George Dixon vs. Jack Skelly (September 6, 1892), p. 262, The gong sounded almost immediately after the breakaway."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A stampede of animals. Australia
- 7 An animal that breaks away from a herd. Australia
"1893, The Argus, 29 April, 1893, p. 4, col. 4, cited in Edward Ellis Morris, Austral English: A Dictionary of Australasian Words, Phrases and Usages, 1898, http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks09/0900231.txt The smartest stock horse that ever brought his rider up within whip distance of a breakaway or dodged the horns of a sulky beast, took the chance."
- 8 An eroding steep slope on the edge of a plateau; an escarpment. Australia
- 9 A channel of floodwater that has burst from its usual course; or the track or channel eroded by the water. Australia
"He was forced to slow to a walking pace in order to negotiate a rack of deep breakaways."
- 10 A particular yo-yo trick http://yoyo.wikia.com/wiki/Breakaway.
"After watching some older kids try out for the New York City Parks Department's yo-yo championship, Stephen Awerman, an eleven-year-old from Jamaica, L.I., decided that he could hold his own with the big boys. He spun his yo-yo through the required figures—spinner, walking-the-dog, breakaway[…]—then unreeled 312 loop-the-loops to latch onto the title."
- 11 A swing dance in which the leader occasionally swings the follower out into an open position.
- 12 An item of scenery designed to be broken or destroyed during the performance.
"EFFECT […] This usually refers to special effects such as flash pots, torches, crashes, breakaways, etc."
Adjective
- 1 Having broken away from a larger unit. not-comparable
"The breakaway republic is slowly establishing order and civil society."
- 2 Capable of breaking off without damaging the larger structure. not-comparable
"a breakaway wall"
- 3 Occurring during or as a result of a breakaway (see Noun) not-comparable
"2016, Scott Feschuk, "Counting down the most annoying in video review, by sport," sportsnet.ca, 10 July, 2016, http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/counting-annoying-video-review-sport/ In a league starved for scoring, the challenge ensures that some super-sweet breakaway goals will be overturned because a dude was three microns offside."
- 4 Enjoying rapid popular success. not-comparable
"The New York quintet call themselves Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, and their RCA debut LP is this season's breakaway disco act."
Adjective
- 1 having separated or advocating separation from another entity or policy or attitude wordnet
Example
"President Tom Jackson sent troops to the breakaway area."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "breakaway"?
Common synonyms include: abjuratory, alienated, antagonistic, antiestablishment, antipathetic, apostasy.
How do you use "breakaway" in a sentence?
President Tom Jackson sent troops to the breakaway area.
How do you pronounce "breakaway"?
Pronounced /ˈbɹeɪkəweɪ/.
Etymology
From break + away, a deverbal from break away.