break - thesaurus entry

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90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

verb

1
to make something separate into two or more pieces, for example by hitting or dropping it
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To break: break, fall apart, shatter, crumble, disintegrate, fragment, splinter, break up, smash... more
1. a.
  if something breaks, it becomes damaged and separates into pieces
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To break: break, fall apart, shatter, crumble, disintegrate, fragment, splinter, break up, smash... more
2. b.
  if a bone in your body breaks, or if you break it, it cracks or separates into two pieces
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To injure yourself or someone else: injure, harm, wound, cut, burn, strain, break, bruise, disable... more
3. c.
  if a piece of equipment breaks, or if you break it, it stops working correctly because a part of it is damaged
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To make a machine or piece of machinery stop working: break, cannibalize, cut, deactivate, disable, disengage, flash, flick, flip off, immobilize... more
2
to fail to obey a rule or law
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To fail to obey a rule, law or command: break, defy, disobey, flout, breach, contravene, challenge, infringe, offend, violate... more
1. a.
  to not do something that you promised or agreed to do
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To not keep a promise: break, go back on, renege, cry off, back out, fail, duck out of, dishonor, backpedal, welsh on... more
3
to make a hole or cut in the surface of something
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To break: break, fall apart, shatter, crumble, disintegrate, fragment, splinter, break up, smash... more
4
to destroy someone’s confidence, determination, or happiness
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To make someone feel disappointed or less hopeful: disappoint, let down, discourage, disillusion, demoralize, wear down, get down, throw/pour cold water on something, dash someone’s hopes, cast a shadow over something... more
1. a.
  to lose your determination or confidence, especially when someone is deliberately trying to make this happen
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To lose hope, or to give up hope: give up on, despair, darken, wobble, sink, break, lose heart, say/wave/kiss goodbye to something, lose/give up hope... more
5
if important news breaks, it becomes publicly known
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To be, or to become known: come out, get around, leak out, emerge, get out, break, spread, appear, circulate, percolate... more
1. a.
  to publish or broadcast a news story for the first time
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To publish something, or to be published: publish, print, go to press, report, carry, break, put out, run, serialize, splash... more
2. b.
  to tell someone bad news in a kind way
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To tell someone something, or to give information: tell, deliver, report, point out, brief, relay, divulge, advise, let someone know, give someone to understand (that)... more
6
to stop what you are doing for a short period of time
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To stop doing something: stop, break off, give up, cease, discontinue, abandon, quit, check, drop, pause... more
7
to stop a bad situation from continuing
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To stop something from continuing or developing: cut into, shut off, kill, kill off, hold back, interfere with, squeeze out, stamp out, suppress... more
1. a.
  to end your connection or relationship with someone
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To end a friendship or relationship: defriend, break off, break up, leave, split up, cut off, fall out, finish with, drop, dump... more
2. b.
  to end a quiet or calm period, for example by talking or making a noise
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To make a sound: sound, tap out, let out, pitch, break, go, emit, utter, voice... more
3. c.
  to end a long period in which you have refused to talk about something
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To bring an end to something: end, wind up, conclude, round off, bring something to an end/a close/a halt, wind down, discontinue, call a halt (to something), break, proscribe... more
8
when day breaks, it starts to get light in the morning
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
The coming of night and day: break, close in, night falls, sunrise, sunset, twilight, draw out, dawn, draw in... more
9
if a storm breaks, it starts
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
What storms can do: blow itself out, blow over, blow up, break, strike, thunder... more
1. a.
  if the weather breaks, it changes unexpectedly, and usually becomes worse
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  Changes in the weather: break, break through, brighten up, clear, clear up, close in, cloud, ease, fickle, lift... more
10
if a boy’s voice breaks, it becomes deeper and he starts to sound like a man
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
What voices can do: break, choke, crack, drop, fall, harden, lift, modulate, quaver, rise... more
1. a.
  if someone’s voice breaks, they become unable to speak clearly, usually because they are upset
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  What voices can do: break, choke, crack, drop, fall, harden, lift, modulate, quaver, rise... more
11
if waves break, they reach their highest point and start to fall
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
What liquids can do: break, burst, cast up, catch, channel, come in, course, crest, dash, deepen... more
12
if someone breaks a code (=a secret way of writing), they learn how to understand it
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Codes and codification: alphanumeric, break, CAPTCHA, cipher, code, code, coded, code name, cryptogram, cryptography... more
13
mainly literary if someone’s fever breaks, it starts to become less severe
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To get better after an illness: recover, survive, respond, fight off, shake, strengthen, heal, revive, nurse, pull through... more

phrases

break your back
to work extremely hard to get something done
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To work hard: work at, forge, overwork, slave, toil, apply yourself, put your back into something, buckle down, labor, exert yourself... more
break the back of something
British
to finish the main part or the hardest part of a piece of work
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To finish something: finish with, complete, end, conclude, carry through, get through, clear, call it a day/night, come to, wrap up... more
break the bank
to win more at gambling than the casino can pay you
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To gamble money: gamble, bet, stake, back, put on, place, see, put money on something, break the bank, toss... more
break the ... barrier
to be larger than the highest previous amount or the highest expected amount
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To exist in large or larger amounts: abound, go beyond, exceed, top, overwhelm, surpass, predominate, infest, litter, break the ... barrier... more
break camp
to take down tents and equipment and leave the place where you have been camping
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Camping and caravanning: bivouac, bivouac, camp, camp, camp out, camp bed, camper, camper van, campfire, campground... more
break someone’s concentration
to interrupt someone so that they are unable to continue concentrating on something
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To make someone unable to concentrate or think clearly: discombobulate, confuse, distract, confound, preoccupy, bewilder, divert, disorient, bamboozle... more
break cover
to suddenly appear from where you have been hiding
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To appear slightly, suddenly or temporarily: emerge, pop up, break through, spring up, descend on, spring, crop up, erupt, shoot up, come and go... more
break even
if a person or business breaks even, they neither make a profit nor lose money
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Relating to making profit: commercial, speculative, pay, boom, yield, boom, speculation, profitability, arbitrage, commercialism... more
break someone’s fall
to stop someone who is falling from hitting the ground directly, so that they hurt themselves less than they would have done
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To stop someone or something from falling: catch, prop up, hold up, support, break someone’s fall, steady yourself, shore up, bear, brace... more
break free
1. 1
  to escape from someone who is trying to hold you
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To escape from a place or situation: escape, get away, break away, flee, break for, break out, throw off, bolt, make a break (for something), make off with... more
2. 2
  to escape from an unpleasant person or situation that controls your life
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To escape from a place or situation: escape, get away, break away, flee, break for, break out, throw off, bolt, make a break (for something), make off with... more
break a habit
to stop doing something that is a habit, especially something bad or harmful
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To give up doing something: give up, cut out, swear off, grow out of, abandon, kick, give in, cut down, break a habit, yield... more
break someone’s heart
1. 1
  to upset someone very much, especially by letting them know that you do not love them. You can also say that someone’s heart breaks or that they have a broken heart
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To make someone feel sad or upset: upset, wound, disturb, depress, distress, devastate, dismay, hang over, stab, worry... more
2. 2
  it breaks someone’s heart
  spoken used for saying that something upsets someone very much
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To make someone feel sad or upset: upset, wound, disturb, depress, distress, devastate, dismay, hang over, stab, worry... more
break the ice
to do or say something that makes people feel less shy or nervous in a social situation
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To make someone less nervous or upset: soothe, comfort, reassure, allay, put/set someone’s mind at ease/at rest, put someone at (their) ease, tranquilize, console, defuse, talk down... more
break a leg
spoken
used for wishing someone good luck
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Ways of wishing someone luck: Godspeed, good luck, break a leg, better luck next time, (the) same to you, (the) best of luck... more
break the mold
to change a situation completely, or to do something in a completely new way
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To become different: change, turn into, become, alter, convert, change into, diversify, shift, tend, go into... more
break someone’s neck
spoken
if someone says they will break your neck, they are threatening to hurt you very badly because they are angry with you
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Ways of threatening someone: watch it, or else, if someone isn’t careful, just (you) wait (until/till), do you want something?, don’t even think about/of doing something, what’s your problem?, (is that) understood?, on/under pain of something, break someone’s neck... more
break new ground
to do something completely different from what has been done before
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To start doing something new or different: strike out, change over, begin, branch out, break with, try your hand at something, change direction/course, turn your hand to something, give something a try, sample... more
break ranks
1. 1
  if soldiers or police officers break ranks, they stop standing in lines and move away
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  Fighting in a war and relating to fighting in a war: active duty, active service, aggressor, air cover, battle cry, beleaguered, belligerent, black out, blackout, bombed-out... more
2. 2
  if a member of a group breaks ranks, they disagree publicly with the rest of the group
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  To argue: argue, bicker, cavil, clash, dicker, dispute, feud, fight, fight it out, haggle... more
break a record
to do something that is better, faster, etc. than anything that has been done before
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To do something well or better than someone else: excel, distinguish yourself, smash a record, shine, trump, cap, make history, upstage, perform, nail... more
break someone’s serve/service
in tennis, to win a game in which your opponent is serving
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Tennis: ace, ace, advantage, alley, ball boy, ball girl, break, break point, clay, the Davis Cup... more
break the spell
mainly literary
to spoil or end something very special
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
To have a bad effect, or to reduce a good effect: cost, damage, spoil, offset, harm, cancel out, loose on, neutralize, overshadow, taint... more
break a strike
1. 1
  to end a situation in which workers have been on strike
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  Strikes and other union activity: action, collective bargaining, come out, cooling-off period, direct action, general strike, go out on strike, go-slow, grievance procedure, industrial action... more
2. 2
  to start working again when you have been on strike
  *American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
  Strikes and other union activity: action, collective bargaining, come out, cooling-off period, direct action, general strike, go out on strike, go-slow, grievance procedure, industrial action... more
break a sweat
American informal
to start sweating because you are using a lot of energy
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Sweating and sweat: bead, cold sweat, mop, perspiration, perspire, pit out, sweat, sweat, sweat off, sweat duct... more
something won’t break the bank
informal
used for saying that something does not cost very much money
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Cheap and inexpensive: cheap, economic, competitive, economy, favorable, affordable, inexpensive, economical, low-end... more
you’re breaking my heart
spoken
used for telling someone that you do not feel any sympathy for them concerning what they have just told you
*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*
Ways of expressing lack of sympathy: tough luck, too bad, my heart bleeds (for someone), you’re breaking my heart, tough shit, tough... more

phrasal verbs

These are synonyms and/or related words for break in the American English Thesaurus. View synonyms and/or related words for break in the British English Thesaurus.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

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a type of cart pulled by a horse and used in the past for carrying barrels of beer

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conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

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break - thesaurus entry

What are red words?

Related thesaurus entries

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

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*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

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*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

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phrases

break your back

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the back of something

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the bank

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the ... barrier

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break camp

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break someone’s concentration

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break cover

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break even

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break someone’s fall

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break free

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break a habit

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break someone’s heart

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

it breaks someone’s heart

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the ice

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break a leg

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the mold

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break someone’s neck

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break new ground

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break ranks

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break a record

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break someone’s serve/service

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break the spell

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break a strike

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

*American English synonyms or related words for this sense of break*

break a sweat

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