break

Study(32)

/bɹeɪk/

verb 7noun 6

Collocations

(noun.) short rest/holiday

ADJ

short | coffee, lunch, tea

Christmas, Easter

My family always visits my grandparents during the Christmas break.

VERB + BREAK

have, take

After working all morning, the students had a break before their afternoon classes.

need

BREAK + NOUN

time

PREP

at ~

During the school day, students eat their snacks at break and then return to class.

during (a/the) ~

My daughter finished her homework during the break between her two classes.

without a ~

She studied for three hours without a break and felt exhausted afterward.

~ for

The workers stopped their tasks and took a break for coffee mid-morning.

~ from

After working long hours, she needed a break from her desk job.

(noun.) change/interruption in sth

ADJ

clean, complete | career | commercial

VERB + BREAK

make

After years of following tradition, she decided to make a break and start her own business.

PREP

~ from

She needed a break from her busy job, so she took a week at the beach.

~ in

During the meeting, there was a break in the conversation when someone's phone rang loudly.

~ with

(noun.) opportunity

ADJ

big, lucky

VERB + BREAK

get

After years of auditions, she finally got her break when a famous director noticed her talent.

give sb

My teacher gave me a break on the assignment deadline when I was sick last week.

(verb.) fail

ADV

completely, irretrievably

After years of arguing, their relationship had broken down completely.

(verb.) start crying

PHRASES

break down and cry/weep, break down in tears

When he heard the sad news about his friend, he broke down and cried.

break off

ADV

abruptly

The meeting ended abruptly when the fire alarm broke the silence.

PREP

from

During the meeting, he broke from tradition by suggesting a completely different approach.

Definitions

verb

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

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

In order to tend to the accident victim, he will break the window of the car.

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

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

He slipped on the ice and broke his leg.

To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.

Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?

The wholesaler broke the container loads into palettes and boxes for local retailers.

To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.

Her child’s death broke Angela.

Interrogators have used many forms of torture to break prisoners of war.

To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.

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

You have to break an elephant before you can use it as an animal of burden.

noun

An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

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

A physical space that opens up in something or between two things.

The sun came out in a break in the clouds.

He waited minutes for a break in the traffic to cross the highway.

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.

But the young activists of Move Forward outmanoeuvred the older party, and beat many of its candidates, with an imaginative, social media-based campaign offering voters a complete break with the past, and a different kind of political leadership.

A rest or pause, usually from work.

Let’s take a five-minute break.

A rest or pause, usually from work.

It was playtime - or rather ‘break’ - and I had brazenly joined in a game of football on the school parade ground.

noun

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

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — an escape from jail

breakout
jailbreak
gaolbreak
prisonbreak
prison-breaking

noun — the act of breaking something

noun — an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

noun — a pause from doing something (as work)

noun — a personal or social separation (as between opposing faction

noun — some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity

interruption

noun — (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the di

noun — breaking of hard tissue such as bone

fracture

noun — a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation

verb — fracture a bone of

fracture

verb — become separated into pieces or fragments

separate

verb — become fractured

verb — happen

recrudesce
develop

verb — prevent completion

verb — terminate

interrupt

verb — lessen in force or effect

verb — stop operating or functioning

verb — cease an action temporarily

pause
intermit

verb — make known to the public information that was previously kno

verb — surpass in excellence

better

verb — go to pieces

verb — ruin completely

bust

verb — force out or release suddenly and often violently something

verb — do a break dance

break-dance

verb — break down, literally or metaphorically

verb — reduce to bankruptcy

verb — assign to a lower position

verb — discontinue an association or relation

verb — act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

transgress
offend
infract
violate
breach

verb — fail to agree with

violate

Antonyms

repair
mend
fix
bushel
doctor
restore
promote
make
observe

Idioms & Phrases

break wind

To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.

I broke wind and excused myself afterwards.

break down

To stop functioning.

I am afraid my computer will break down if I try to run it at too high a speed.

break even

To neither gain nor lose money.

After an entire night playing poker, he nearly broke even.

break the ice

To start to get to know people to avoid social awkwardness and formality.

Including a few fun details in large group introductions can be a great way to break the ice.

break in

To enter a place by force or illicit means.

Someone broke in and stole his radio.

Example Bank

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

Wiktionary

In order to tend to the accident victim, he will break the window of the car.

Wiktionary

First, marinate the tofu. In a bowl, whisk the kecap manis, chilli sauce, and sesame oil together. Cut the tofu into strips about 1cm thick, mix gently (so it doesn't break) with the marinade and leav

Wiktionary

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

Wiktionary

The sun came out in a break in the clouds.

Wiktionary

He waited minutes for a break in the traffic to cross the highway.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, break is marked as slang, UK, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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