(of a rule, law or agreement) To fail to keep or abide by
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To separate into pieces as a result of a collision, blow, shock, or strain
“The piñata would eventually break after being struck repeatedly by enthusiastic kids.”
(of a rule, law or agreement) To fail to keep or abide by
“He chose to break his contract with the club after a significantly more lucrative offer was presented to him.”
To stop proceedings, typically in relation to arduous activity
“Let's break for a few minutes before we drive ourselves crazy from all this work.”
To stop or interrupt an action, process or operation
“We can break the cycle of poverty by providing work and employment opportunities.”
To tell or reveal news or information
“I couldn't wait to break the good news to him that he had aced his exam.”
To be revealed
“If there is any truth to any of this, the news will break in due course.”
To exceed or cross a given limit
“He was determined to break the world record to make a name for himself.”
To become inoperative
“We have backups on standby should the machines currently in operation break.”
To cause damage to
“I would break my juicer by overfilling it.”
To cushion something's effect
“His reflexes kicked in, and he threw out his arms, managing to break her fall.”
To happen, occur or come into existence
“We had no inkling that the horsemeat scandal would break in the middle of the filming of our documentary.”
To retreat from something frightening or dangerous
“The crowd in Pamplona would immediately break once the bulls were set loose.”
To sustain an injury involving the fracture of a bone or bones in a part of the body
“He was relieved after scans confirmed that the accident did not break any of his bones.”
To decipher or solve through reasoning, analysis or logic
“Rejewski used the theory of permutations to break the message keys of the plugboard Enigma machine.”
(of a habit) To quit or give up
“He resolved to break his habit of constantly being overly critical of himself.”
To be overcome by a given feeling or emotion
“Homer's self-control would finally break as he greedily gobbled down the blueberry pie.”
To cause to become tired, weary or fatigued
“The grueling workout would eventually break me, and I had to quit from exhaustion.”
(of one's voice) To speak haltingly
“Her voice would break as she recounted the harrowing ordeal.”
(of waves) To crash against a barrier or surface
“We stood near the beach by the fire, listening to the waves break on the shingle.”
To move in a (usually sharp) turn
“James would dribble to his left, then break to his right to shake off his opponent.”
(of the weather) To undergo a change
“The weather would break, temperatures would rise, and it would be briefly warm enough to smell the earth once again.”
To break through a surface
“Press down onto each potato to break the skin and flesh a little, allowing the oil to penetrate.”
To penetrate the surface from below
“Dolphins would break all around our boat.”
To destroy, weaken or work against
“Government indifference failed to break the movement but, in fact, radicalized it.”
To fail in business or to become bankrupt
“The hemorrhaging cash flow would eventually break him.”
To reduce the value or price of
“Adam Osborne decided that he wanted to break the price of computers by creating his own.”
(of a piece of land) To cut into and turn over the sod of
“Farmers of old would break fields with horse-drawn plows.”
To defeat, subdue or overcome with superior strength
To force or break apart
To flow (noisily) in a stream
To tame (an animal) and keep it as a pet or on a farm
To demonstrate or expose to the falsehood of something
To lower the rank or status of something or someone
To physically injure or wound, especially with a cut
To divide into separate parts
To renounce or back out of a prior agreement, promise, stance or statement
To shame or put down
To declare loudly, openly or publicly
To move continuously or freely through a space, area or population
To surrender to arguments, demands, or pressure
To erupt or surge forcefully after being released
To put a damper on one's mood or enthusiasm
To irritate or upset, typically with repeated or unpleasant acts
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