break

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; “the telephone is an annoying interruption”; “there was a break in the action when a player was hurt”

an unexpected piece of good luck; “he finally got his big break”

(geology) a crack in the earth’s crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; “they built it right over a geological fault”; “he studied the faulting of the earth’s crust”

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); “they hoped to avoid a break in relations”

a pause from doing something (as work); “we took a 10-minute break”; “he took time out to recuperate”

the act of breaking something; “the breakage was unavoidable”

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

breaking of hard tissue such as bone; “it was a nasty fracture”; “the break seems to have been caused by a fall”

the occurrence of breaking; “the break in the dam threatened the valley”

an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion); “then there was a break in her voice”

the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving; “he was up two breaks in the second set”

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; “it was presented without commercial breaks”; “there was a gap in his account”

a sudden dash; “he made a break for the open door”

any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare; “the break in the eighth frame cost him the match”

an escape from jail; “the breakout was carefully planned”

terminate; “She interrupted her pregnancy”; “break a lucky streak”; “break the cycle of poverty”

become separated into pieces or fragments; “The figurine broke”; “The freshly baked loaf fell apart”

render inoperable or ineffective; “You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!”

ruin completely; “He busted my radio!”

destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; “He broke the glass plate”; “She broke the match”

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; “offend all laws of humanity”; “violate the basic laws or human civilization”; “break a law”; “break a promise”

move away or escape suddenly; “The horses broke from the stable”; “Three inmates broke jail”; “Nobody can break out–this prison is high security”

scatter or part; “The clouds broke after the heavy downpour”

force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up; “break into tears”; “erupt in anger”

prevent completion; “stop the project”; “break off the negotiations”

enter someone’s (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act; “Someone broke in while I was on vacation”; “They broke into my car and stole my radio!”; “who broke into my account last night?”

make submissive, obedient, or useful; “The horse was tough to break”; “I broke in the new intern”

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; “This sentence violates the rules of syntax”

surpass in excellence; “She bettered her own record”; “break a record”

make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; “The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold”; “The actress won’t reveal how old she is”; “bring out the truth”; “he broke the news to her”; “unwrap the evidence in the murder case”

come into being; “light broke over the horizon”; “Voices broke in the air”

stop operating or functioning; “The engine finally went”; “The car died on the road”; “The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town”; “The coffee maker broke”; “The engine failed on the way to town”; “her eyesight went after the accident”

interrupt a continued activity; “She had broken with the traditional patterns”

make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one’s own by quitting or fleeing; “The ranks broke”

curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; “The surf broke”

lessen in force or effect; “soften a shock”; “break a fall”

be broken in; “If the new teacher won’t break, we’ll add some stress”

come to an end; “The heat wave finally broke yesterday”

vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity; “The flat plain was broken by tall mesas”

cause to give up a habit; “She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes”

give up; “break cigarette smoking”

come forth or begin from a state of latency; “The first winter storm broke over New York”

happen or take place; “Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months”

cause the failure or ruin of; “His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage”; “This play will either make or break the playwright”

invalidate by judicial action; “The will was broken”

discontinue an association or relation; go different ways; “The business partners broke over a tax question”; “The couple separated after 25 years of marriage”; “My friend and I split up”

assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; “She was demoted because she always speaks up”; “He was broken down to Sergeant”

reduce to bankruptcy; “My daughter’s fancy wedding is going to break me!”; “The slump in the financial markets smashed him”

change directions suddenly

emerge from the surface of a body of water; “The whales broke”

break down, literally or metaphorically; “The wall collapsed”; “The business collapsed”; “The dam broke”; “The roof collapsed”; “The wall gave in”; “The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice”

do a break dance; “Kids were break-dancing at the street corner”

exchange for smaller units of money; “I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy”

destroy the completeness of a set of related items; “The book dealer would not break the set”

make the opening shot that scatters the balls

separate from a clinch, in boxing; “The referee broke the boxers”

go to pieces; “The lawn mower finally broke”; “The gears wore out”; “The old chair finally fell apart completely”

break a piece from a whole; “break a branch from a tree”

become punctured or penetrated; “The skin broke”

pierce or penetrate; “The blade broke her skin”

be released or become known; of news; “News of her death broke in the morning”

cease an action temporarily; “We pause for station identification”; “let’s break for lunch”

interrupt the flow of current in; “break a circuit”

undergo breaking; “The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages”

find a flaw in; “break an alibi”; “break down a proof”

find the solution or key to; “break the code”

change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another; “Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children”

happen; “Report the news as it develops”; “These political movements recrudesce from time to time”

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only; “The glass cracked when it was heated”

crack; of the male voice in puberty; “his voice is breaking–he should no longer sing in the choir”

fall sharply; “stock prices broke”

fracture a bone of; “I broke my foot while playing hockey”

diminish or discontinue abruptly; “The patient’s fever broke last night”

weaken or destroy in spirit or body; “His resistance was broken”; “a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death”