definition
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.
definition
To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.
example
Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?
definition
To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.
example
Her child's death broke Angela.
definition
To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief.
example
My heart is breaking.
definition
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.
definition
To ruin financially.
example
The recession broke some small businesses.
definition
To violate, to not adhere to.
example
He broke his vows by cheating on his wife.
definition
(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.
definition
(of a spell of settled weather) To end.
example
The forecast says the hot weather will break by midweek.
definition
(of a storm) To begin; to end.
example
Around midday the storm broke, and the afternoon was calm and sunny.
definition
(of morning, dawn, day etc.) To arrive.
example
Morning has broken.
definition
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.
definition
To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.
example
Did you two break the trolley by racing with it?
definition
To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.
example
break a seal
definition
To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce.
example
The cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
definition
(of a wave of water) To collapse into surf, after arriving in shallow water.
definition
To burst forth; to make its way; to come into view.
definition
To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily.
example
Let's break for lunch.
definition
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.
definition
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.
definition
(of a sound) To become audible suddenly.
definition
To change a steady state abruptly.
example
His coughing broke the silence.
definition
To suddenly become.
example
The arrest was standard, when suddenly the suspect broke ugly.
definition
Of a male voice, to become deeper at puberty.
definition
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.
definition
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.
definition
:
definition
(most often in the passive tense) To demote, to reduce the military rank of.
definition
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.
definition
(of an emulsion) To demulsify.
definition
To counter-attack
definition
To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.
definition
To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.
definition
To fail in business; to become bankrupt.
definition
To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of.
example
to break flax
definition
To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.
definition
To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait.
example
to break into a run or gallop
definition
To fall out; to terminate friendship.
definition
To terminate the execution of a program before normal completion.
definition
To suspend the execution of a program during debugging so that the state of the program can be investigated.