Break | Mean of break in English Dictionary

/ˈbreɪk/

• Verb
• to separate (something) into parts or pieces often in a sudden and forceful or violent way
1. She broke the cup when she dropped it on the floor.
2. I broke the stick in two/half. = I broke the stick into two pieces.
3. Break the chocolate bar into pieces so that everyone can have some.
4. It is easiest to break a chain at its weakest link.
5. The cup broke (into bits/pieces) when it fell on the floor.
6. A chain will break at its weakest link.
• to cause (a bone) to separate into two or more pieces
1. He fell and broke [=fractured] his collarbone.
2. He broke his arm in the accident. [=one of the bones in his arm was broken in the accident]
3. The fall broke his arm.
4. His arm broke in three places when he fell.
• to open suddenly especially because of pressure from inside
1. The blister broke.
2. A bruise forms when a blood vessel breaks under the skin.

• to cause (something, such as a machine) to stop working by damaging it
1. He broke his watch when he dropped it on the floor.
2. I'm afraid I've broken your phone.
• to stop working because of being damaged
1. His watch broke when he dropped it on the floor.
2. The pump recently broke.
• to split or divide (something) into smaller units or parts
1. The word “singing” can be broken (up) into the two syllables “sing-” and “-ing.”
2. They broke the corporation (up) into several smaller companies.
3. The corporation broke (up) into several smaller companies.
• to go through or make a hole in (a surface, someone's skin, etc.)
1. There is no risk of infection if the dog's bite did not break [=puncture] the skin.
2. A large fish broke the surface of the water.
• to go through (something) by using force
1. Use a knife to break the seal.
2. The ceremony is to celebrate people who broke racial barriers in the music industry.
• to cut into and turn over the surface of (the ground, soil, etc.)
1. The farmer uses a plow to break the soil.
• to fail to do what is required by (a law, a promise, etc.)
1. She may not have broken the law, but she acted wrongly.
2. You broke your promise.
3. Students who break the rules will be punished.
4. He broke the contract by failing to make the payments on time.
5. You can get fined for breaking the speed limit. [=for driving faster than you are legally allowed to drive]
• to destroy or defeat (something) by using force or pressure
1. They kept putting pressure on him, but they couldn't break his spirit/determination/resistance.
2. They finally broke his will to resist.
3. His spirit/determination will never break.
• to defeat or ruin (someone)
1. He swore that he would break his rivals/competitors.
2. They kept putting pressure on him, but they couldn't break him.
3. These huge losses are going to break [=ruin] me financially!
4. This film could make or break her career. [=the success or failure of her career could depend on the success or failure of this film]
• to lose your health, mental or physical strength, or control
1. The witness broke under questioning.
2. I was afraid I would break under the strain of constant uncertainty.
• to train (a wild animal) to behave in a way that is useful to people
1. special equipment used to break horses
• to cause the end of (something that is strong or that has continued for a long time)
1. A group of moderates from both parties are negotiating to break the deadlock in Congress.
2. Many people in the industry were very upset when the government broke the strike.
3. He decided to break all ties/links with them. [=to end all connections with them]
4. She scored a goal in the last minute of the game, breaking a 2–2 tie.
5. It's never easy to break [=kick, give up] a bad habit.
• to cause (someone) to give up a habit
1. His friends have tried everything to break him of his smoking habit. [=have tried everything to make him stop smoking]
• to interrupt (something)
1. The peaceful silence of the evening was broken by a sudden shout.
2. The commotion broke my train of thought.
3. The sudden noise broke my concentration. [=made it impossible for me to concentrate]
4. Sometimes I sing while I'm driving, just to break (up) the monotony of my commute.
5. The horizon line was broken only by a few stands of trees in the distance.
6. The planes broke formation [=stopped flying together in an organized group] and took off in different directions.
• to cause (something, such as a curse or spell) to no longer be effective
1. a mystic who claimed to be able to break curses
• to stop an activity (such as working) for a brief period of time
1. Let's break for lunch. [=let's take a break for lunch; let's temporarily stop working and eat lunch]
• to tell (bad news) to someone in a kind or gentle way
1. I know she'll be very upset when she finds out she didn't get the job, so please try to break it to her gently.
• to make (something, such as news) publicly known for the first time
1. The local TV station was the first to break the news about the President's visit.
• to become publicly known
1. The story broke yesterday. [=the story was reported for the first time yesterday]
2. People were shocked when (news of) the scandal first broke.
• to reduce the speed or force of (something)
1. The bushes beneath the window helped to break his fall. [=helped make his fall less forceful]
2. She walked straight across the room without breaking (her) stride. [=without pausing or slowing down]
• to be higher or more than (a specified number, measurement, etc.)
1. The temperature is expected to break 90 (degrees Fahrenheit) today.
• to do better than (a record)
1. She ran a great race and almost broke the world record. [=she almost ran the race faster than anyone in the world has ever run it]
2. He set a record that may never be broken.
• to have a score that is lower than or higher than (a specified total)
1. golfers trying to break 90 [=to have a score below 90]
2. bowlers trying to break 200 [=to have a score above 200]
• to find or provide an explanation or solution for (something, such as a criminal case)
1. The detective finally broke [=solved] the case.
2. The detective found the evidence that broke the case.
• to find the meaning of (a secret code)
1. A team of experts was finally able to break the code and decipher the meaning of the message.
• to change by becoming rainy, clear, cool, etc., after a long time
1. waiting for the weather to break
2. The heat wave should finally break [=end] tomorrow.
• to separate so that the sky or sun can be seen
1. The clouds broke and the fog dissipated, revealing blue sky above.
• to start suddenly
1. Everyone ran to get indoors when the storm broke. [=when it began to rain]
• to begin when the sun rises
1. They left just as day was breaking. [=just as the sun was rising]
2. The dawn was breaking.
• to begin running quickly
1. Everyone broke [=dashed, ran] for cover.
• to stop fighting and run away
1. When the enemy charged, our troops broke and ran.
• to give smaller bills or coins for (a large bill)
1. Can you break [=change] a $20 bill for me?
• to use (a large bill) to pay for something that costs much less than the value of the bill
1. I didn't want to break a $20 bill just to buy something for a dollar.
• to curl over and fall onto or near land
1. the sound of waves breaking against/over/on the rocks
• to change sharply in tone or pitch because of strong emotion
1. Her voice was breaking with emotion as she said goodbye.
• to change from the high voice of a boy to the lower voice of a man
1. an adolescent boy whose voice is breaking
• to turn or curve
1. The putt broke to the left as it neared the hole.
2. a pitch that breaks away from the batter
3. The pitcher threw a breaking ball. [=a pitch that curves]
• to win against (an opponent who is serving)
1. The challenger broke the champion in the final set. = The challenger broke the champion's serve in the final set.
2. The challenger broke in the final set but the champion broke back to even the score.
• to happen or develop
1. For the team to succeed, everything has to break right for them. [=for the team to succeed, they have to be lucky]
2. Things have been breaking [=going] well for the company in the past six months.
• to get away from someone or something especially by using force or effort
1. Large pieces of the rock ledge have broken away. [=broken free]
2. He broke away [=broke free/loose] from his captors and escaped.
3. She broke away [=pulled away] from the other runners to win the race.
4. The company has broken away from the competition.
5. young people breaking away from traditional values
• to separate or become separate from a larger group, country, etc.
1. Three members of the band broke away and formed their own group.
2. a faction that has broken away from the main political party
• to stop working properly
1. Our car broke down on the highway.
2. This old motorcycle is constantly breaking down.
• to fail or stop usually in a complete and sudden way
1. Negotiations have broken down. [=collapsed]
2. The government's argument broke down completely when new evidence came to light.
3. Their marriage had broken down [=failed], and there was nothing to do about it.
• to become overwhelmed by strong emotions
1. She broke down and started to cry. = She broke down in tears.
• to lose or cause (someone) to lose strength or the ability to resist or fight
1. The prisoner finally broke down under intensive questioning.
2. She finally broke down and got a cell phone. [=she bought a cell phone after resisting the desire to buy one for a long time]
3. Intensive questioning finally broke the prisoner down.
• to become separated or to separate (something) into simpler substances
1. The foods you eat break down in the body's digestive system.
2. The body's digestive system breaks food down.
3. Water can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis. = Water can break down into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis.
• to be able to be divided or to divide (something) into parts or groups
1. The report breaks down into three sections. = The report is broken down into three sections. [=the report has three sections]
2. The author has broken down the nation's history into three distinct periods.
• to use force to push (something) to the ground
1. break a door down
2. break down a barrier
3. They are working to break down legal barriers to integration.
• to take in as much money as you spend
1. After years of losing money the company is starting to break even and hopes to make a profit soon.
• to become able to move or escape by using force or effort
1. The prisoner struggled to break free.
2. She wanted to break free from the constraints of her middle-class life.
3. an animal struggling to break free of a trap
• to end a relationship, connection, or agreement with (someone or something)
1. She recently broke from [=broke with] the organization she helped found.
2. breaking from [=breaking with] tradition/stereotypes
• to enter a house, building, etc., illegally
1. Someone tried to break in while we were away.
• to interrupt or disturb someone or something
1. I was listening to my favorite radio program when a reporter broke in with news about a storm.
2. We were having a chat when he rudely broke in (on it).
• to start or help (someone) to start a new activity, job, etc.
1. Baseball was very different when he first broke in [=started playing] as a catcher in 1962.
2. The job involves a wide variety of tasks, so we try to break new employees in gradually.
3. The band is breaking in a new backup singer.
• to use (something, such as a new pair of shoes) for a period of time so that it becomes comfortable
1. The shoes were tight when she first got them, so she broke them in by wearing them around the house for a few days.
• to operate (a new machine) carefully for a period of time until it is ready for regular use
1. You shouldn't drive a new car too fast while you're breaking it in.
• to enter (a house, building, etc.) illegally and especially by using force
1. Someone tried to break into our house while we were away.
• to begin to do or have (something) suddenly
1. She broke into tears. [=she suddenly began to cry]
2. The audience broke into applause. [=the audience suddenly began applauding]
3. His face broke into a smile. [=he suddenly smiled]
4. The horse broke into a gallop. [=the horse suddenly began to gallop]
5. She broke into song. [=she suddenly began to sing]
• to enter or get started in (something, such as a profession)
1. I knew her when she was a young actress trying to break into show business.
• to suddenly become loose
1. One of the shutters broke loose during the storm.
• to get away from someone or something by using force or effort
1. The prisoner broke loose [=broke free] and ran away.
2. The prisoner broke loose from the guards.
3. She wants to break loose from the constraints of her middle-class life.
• to become separated or cause (something) to become separated because of force or violence
1. The piece of plaster broke off easily.
2. The handle broke off when I accidentally dropped the cup.
3. I accidentally broke the cup's handle off. = I accidentally broke the handle off the cup.
4. I broke [=tore] a piece of bread off (the loaf) and ate it.
• to stop or end suddenly or cause (something) to stop or end suddenly
1. The speaker broke off (speaking) in the middle of a sentence.
2. At that point the recording suddenly breaks off. [=ends]
3. The two countries have broken off diplomatic relations.
4. The negotiations resumed soon after they were broken off.
5. They had a fight and broke off [=called off] their engagement.
• to open or to cause (something) to open suddenly
1. The pods broke open and the seeds scattered on the wind.
2. The police broke open the door.
3. The burglars broke open the locked safe.
• to begin happening suddenly
1. A fire broke out in the kitchen.
2. A riot broke out in the prison.
3. There is a danger that war could break out soon.
• to suddenly begin to have sweat, a rash, etc., on your skin
1. He broke out in a sweat. [=he began to sweat]
2. Eating strawberries makes her break out in hives. = Eating strawberries makes her break out.
• to appear on the skin suddenly
1. Sweat broke out on his forehead.
2. A rash broke out on her skin.
• to escape from a prison, jail, etc.
1. Six prisoners were caught attempting to break out.
2. Six prisoners attempted to break out of the jail.
3. The team is trying to break out of its slump. [=is trying to end its slump]
4. We need to break out of the financial rut we're in.
• to take (something) from the place where it is stored so that it can be used
1. We broke out the champagne to celebrate our victory.
• to use force to get through (something, such as a barrier)
1. The enemy attacked our defenses but they weren't able to break through.
2. The enemy finally broke through our defenses and defeated us.
3. The prisoners broke through the wall and escaped.
4. The organization is committed to breaking through the barriers of poverty.
• to shine through (clouds)
1. The sun finally began to break through. = The sun finally began to break through the clouds.
• to separate into parts or pieces or cause (something) to separate into parts or pieces
1. The asteroid broke up [=disintegrated] when it hit the Earth's atmosphere.
2. Enzymes help break up protein molecules.
3. break up a large estate
• to end or cause (something) to end
1. The demonstration broke up when the police arrived.
2. The party began to break up shortly after midnight.
3. The police broke up the demonstration.
4. He got hurt while trying to break up a fight.
5. break up a terrorist organization
• to end a romantic relationship, marriage, etc.
1. They dated for years but recently broke up.
2. I hear that he and his wife have broken up. = I hear that their marriage has broken up.
3. He broke up with his girlfriend.
• to begin laughing or cause (someone) to begin laughing suddenly and in a way that is difficult to control
1. I always break up [=crack up] when I hear that joke.
2. Everyone broke up [=burst into laughter, busted out laughing] when they saw what he was wearing.
3. That joke always breaks me up. [=cracks me up]
• to change the regular quality or appearance of (something)
1. break up a dull routine
2. A chimney breaks up the line of the level roof.
3. break up a text with pictures
• to separate the parts of (something) so that it is not complete
1. The seller was unwilling to break up the dining room set by selling one of the chairs.
2. The owner broke up the team by trading many of the best players.
• to come to the end of a period of instruction (such as a term)
1. School broke up for the summer last Friday.
• Noun
• a crack, hole, etc., that is caused by damage, injury, or pressure
1. The tank is reinforced to prevent breaks and leaks.
2. The break [=fracture] in her arm will take months to heal.
3. Watch out for breaks [=(more commonly) cracks] in the ice.
• an opening or space in something
1. There was a break [=gap] in the clouds.
2. There was a break in the hedge/fence.
3. We waited for a break in the traffic.
• something that causes a change or interruption
1. She gets upset over any little break in her routine. [=anything that changes/interrupts her routine]
2. The fields extend for miles without a break.
• a time when something stops
1. It has rained for five days without a break. [=it has been raining constantly for five days]
2. We chatted during a break in the game.
3. It rained all day. We waited for a break in the weather [=we waited for a time when the rain stopped], but it never came.
• a brief period of time during which someone stops an activity
1. I'm tired. Let's take a break. [=let's stop doing whatever we are doing for a short period of time]
2. It was a long drive, but we took lots of breaks. [=we briefly stopped driving many times]
3. a bathroom break [=a brief period of time when you stop doing something in order to use a bathroom]
• a brief period of time during which a worker is allowed to rest, eat, etc., instead of working
1. All employees are entitled to two breaks during the workday.
2. We've been working all day without a break.
3. It's only five minutes until break time. [=the time when workers are supposed to stop working for a brief period of time]
• a longer period of time when someone is not working or doing some other activity
1. The long weekend provided her with a much-needed break (from her job).
• a time when many people are not working or going to school because of a holiday, vacation, etc.
1. She went home to visit her parents during (the) winter break.
2. What are your plans for (the) Thanksgiving break?
• a planned interruption in a radio or television program
1. a break for a commercial = a commercial break
2. We'll be back with more after the break.
• a sudden fast run
1. The runner made a break for second base. [=the runner suddenly ran toward second base]
• a fast run by someone who is trying to escape
1. The prisoner made a (sudden) break for the door.
2. The prisoner made a break for it/freedom and got away.
• a situation or event that is lucky or unlucky
1. a series of unlucky/bad breaks
2. Finding a hotel with a vacancy and low prices was a lucky/good break for us.
• a lucky situation or event that makes success possible
1. She's still hoping to get her big/lucky break in show business.
2. She got the breaks she needed to succeed.
3. She gets all the breaks. [=she is very lucky]
4. For the team to succeed, all the breaks will have to go their way. [=they will have to be lucky]
5. (US) I just can't seem to catch a break. [=I am unlucky; I never have good luck]
6. I'm disappointed that I didn't get the job, but those are the breaks. I'll keep trying.
• something that helps a particular person or group
1. Can you give me a break on the price? = Can I get a break on the price? [=can you lower the price for me?]
2. People with small children are being given a tax break. [=are being required to pay less in taxes than other people]
• a sudden ending of a relationship
1. The crisis has caused a break (in diplomatic relations) between the two countries.
2. If you don't want to keep dating him, you should just make a clean break [=you should end your relationship quickly] instead of dragging it out.
3. She talked about leaving her husband for years, but she never found the courage to make the break.
• a change from what was done before
1. We need to make a clean break with the past. [=we need to stop doing things as they were done in the past and start doing them in a completely new way]
2. The company has made a sharp break with tradition.
3. Her latest novel marks a complete break with/from her earlier fiction. [=her latest novel is completely different from her earlier fiction]
• a sharp change in the tone or pitch of someone's voice
1. There was a break [=(more commonly) crack] in her voice as she said goodbye.
• a curve in the path of a thrown or hit ball
1. The batter was fooled completely by the break on the pitch.
2. The putt had a lot of break. [=the putt curved a lot]
• the act of defeating an opponent who is serving
1. a service break
• to stop treating (someone) in a strict or harsh way
1. Don't criticize him so much. He's doing the best he can. Why don't you give him a break?