Word Finder - break

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An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

example

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

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

example

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

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A rest or pause, usually from work.

example

Let’s take a five-minute break.

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A time for students to talk or play.

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A short holiday.

example

a weekend break on the Isle of Wight

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A temporary split with a romantic partner.

example

I think we need a break.

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An interval or intermission between two parts of a performance, for example a theatre show, broadcast, or sports game.

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A significant change in circumstance, attitude, perception, or focus of attention.

example

big break

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The beginning (of the morning).

example

at the break of day

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An act of escaping.

example

It was a clean break.

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The separation between lines, paragraphs or pages of a written text.

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A keystroke or other signal that causes a program to terminate or suspend execution.

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A point or condition in a program at which operation may be suspended during debugging so that the state of the program at that point can be investigated. A breakpoint.

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A change, particularly the end of a spell of persistent good or bad weather.

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:

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A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.

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(equitation) A sharp bit or snaffle.

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

example

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

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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.

example

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

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Usu. plural An area along a river that features steep banks, bluffs, or gorges (e.g., Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, US).

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

example

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

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

example

Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?

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

example

Her child's death broke Angela.

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To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief.

example

My heart is breaking.

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To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.

example

I had won four games in a row, but now you've broken my streak of luck.

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To ruin financially.

example

The recession broke some small businesses.

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To violate, to not adhere to.

example

He broke his vows by cheating on his wife.

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(of a fever) To pass the most dangerous part of the illness; to go down, in terms of temperature.

example

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

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(of a spell of settled weather) To end.

example

The forecast says the hot weather will break by midweek.

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(of a storm) To begin; to end.

example

Around midday the storm broke, and the afternoon was calm and sunny.

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(of morning, dawn, day etc.) To arrive.

example

Morning has broken.

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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.

example

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

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To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.

example

Did you two break the trolley by racing with it?

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To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.

example

break a seal

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To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce.

example

The cavalry were not able to break the British squares.

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(of a wave of water) To collapse into surf, after arriving in shallow water.

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To burst forth; to make its way; to come into view.

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To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily.

example

Let's break for lunch.

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To interrupt (a fall) by inserting something so that the falling object does not (immediately) hit something else beneath.

example

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

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To disclose or make known an item of news, etc.

example

I don't know how to break this to you, but your cat is not coming back.

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(of a sound) To become audible suddenly.

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To change a steady state abruptly.

example

His coughing broke the silence.

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To suddenly become.

example

The arrest was standard, when suddenly the suspect broke ugly.

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Of a male voice, to become deeper at puberty.

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Of a voice, to alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men generally to go up, in women sometimes to go down; to crack.

example

His voice breaks when he gets emotional.

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To surpass or do better than (a specific number), to do better than (a record), setting a new record.

example

He broke the men's 100-meter record.

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:

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(most often in the passive tense) To demote, to reduce the military rank of.

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To end (a connection), to disconnect.

example

I couldn't hear a thing he was saying, so I broke the connection and called him back.

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(of an emulsion) To demulsify.

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To counter-attack

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To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.

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To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.

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To fail in business; to become bankrupt.

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To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of.

example

to break flax

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To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.

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To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait.

example

to break into a run or gallop

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To fall out; to terminate friendship.

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To terminate the execution of a program before normal completion.

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To suspend the execution of a program during debugging so that the state of the program can be investigated.

If you break it, you replace it.

Give yourself a break and get some rest.

Are you opposed to a break now and then?

One of Helen's old habits, that is strongest and hardest to correct, is a tendency to break things.

I've been getting the feeling she is trying to break us up.

He's going to break his leg tomorrow.

Pierre could not and did not wish to break this silence.

The woman strained to break his grip, but he held her in place.

And I never feel a break or a splinter in the least.

Adrienne screamed, cramming her foot into the floor as if she, too, had a break pedal.

It'll make or break him, and I don't feel like he's anywhere near ready.

Some people's bodies break in ways that we don't understand.

Then there's a break of several years.

I always heard marriage could break up a good friendship.

Early cars tried to be faster and faster, to break the 60 mph barrier.

My phone call didn't break it up?

The pastor continued as if we hadn't taken nearly a three hour break, mostly continuing his sermon.

My friends did all they could to excite my curiosity by hints and half-spelled sentences which they pretended to break off in the nick of time.

When the band took a break, Carmen was looking for something cool to drink.

By the way, someone tried to break into my apartment last night.

I'm going on break.

But what right had I to oust johnswort and the rest, and break up their ancient herb garden?

I'd better get a screwdriver and tighten that ladder before you fall and break your neck.

Locating us wasn't as a result of Julie's contest entry or from the break in of her apartment.

Do you think this was a random break in?

He couldn't remember when he'd last had a full five hours of his own, and he knew he wasn't likely to get another break for a while.

It took more effort than he thought to break the otherworldly connection binding them.

Grasping the break with one hand, she met his amused gaze.

It would take a sledge hammer or more to break down this portal.

Everybody was astonished, for that boy was the best scholar in the school, and he had never been known to break a rule.

It seems Viney had attempted to take a glass, which Helen was filling with stones, fearing that she would break it.

In my house we were so near that we could not begin to hear--we could not speak low enough to be heard; as when you throw two stones into calm water so near that they break each other's undulations.

The opening of large tracts by the ice-cutters commonly causes a pond to break up earlier; for the water, agitated by the wind, even in cold weather, wears away the surrounding ice.

This difference of three and a half degrees between the temperature of the deep water and the shallow in the latter pond, and the fact that a great proportion of it is comparatively shallow, show why it should break up so much sooner than Walden.

Do not break your ranks on the plea of removing the wounded!

During one of these moments of awkward silence when Anatole's prominent eyes were gazing calmly and fixedly at her, Natasha, to break the silence, asked him how he liked Moscow.

Darting across the room, she used the door jam to break her speed as she turned to Brandon's room.

Releasing the break, she slapped the lines on the back of the mules and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

It was the first time she saw him break down and indulge in a heart felt smile.

I have a friend I'd like to have peek at the break in, that's all.

Something terrible would've had to happen to break the connection between Damian and her.

Be careful you don't break this one.

Southwards they have been observed without a break for 160 m.

No attempt is made by those around her either to preserve or to break her illusions.

He cut his trees level and close to the ground, that the sprouts which came up afterward might be more vigorous and a sled might slide over the stumps; and instead of leaving a whole tree to support his corded wood, he would pare it away to a slender stake or splinter which you could break off with your hand at last.

I beg you to leave the town and break off all communication with such men as Klyucharev.

Her response to the issue about a son was indication that she was ready to break from the past.

They knew about the break up and maybe they thought she knew about the drugs.

I had to twist Quinn's arm to get Howie back to Julie's break in.

Exhausted, she reached them some time later, praying for a break or a snack or something!