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break Definition

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break
noun(break)
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving
Synonyms: break of serve,
Examples:
He was up two breaks in the second set.
break
noun(break)
breaking of hard tissue such as bone
Synonyms: fracture,
Examples:
The break seems to have been caused by a fall.
break
verb(break)
enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act
Synonyms: break in,
break
verb(break)
be released or become known; of news
Synonyms: get around, get out,
break
verb(break)
fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
Synonyms: go against, violate,
break
noun(break)
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
Examples:
It was presented without commercial breaks.
break
verb(break)
lessen in force or effect
Synonyms: damp, dampen, soften, weaken,
Examples:
Break a fall.
break
noun(break)
an escape from jail
Synonyms: breakout, gaolbreak, jailbreak, prison-breaking, prisonbreak,
Examples:
The breakout was carefully planned.
break
verb(break)
interrupt a continued activity
Synonyms: break away,
break
verb(break)
force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
Synonyms: burst, erupt,
Examples:
Break into tears.
break
noun(break)
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare
Synonyms: open frame,
Examples:
The break in the eighth frame cost him the match.
break
verb(break)
go to pieces
Synonyms: bust, fall apart, wear, wear out,
break
verb(break)
ruin completely
Synonyms: bust,
Antonyms: repair,
break
verb(break)
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
Synonyms: breach, go against, infract, offend, transgress, violate,
Antonyms: keep,
Examples:
Break a law.
Break a promise.
break
verb(break)
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
Synonyms: check, crack,
break
verb(break)
do a break dance
Synonyms: break-dance, break dance,
Examples:
Kids were break-dancing at the street corner.
break
verb(break)
prevent completion
Synonyms: break off, discontinue, stop,
Examples:
Break off the negotiations.
break
verb(break)
become separated into pieces or fragments
Synonyms: come apart, fall apart, separate, split up,
break
verb(break)
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
Synonyms: bring out, disclose, discover, divulge, expose, give away, let on, let out, reveal, uncover, unwrap,
break
verb(break)
terminate
Synonyms: interrupt,
Examples:
Break a lucky streak.
Break the cycle of poverty.
break
verb(break)
surpass in excellence
Synonyms: better,
Examples:
Break a record.
break
verb(break)
discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
Synonyms: break up, part, separate, split, split up,
break
noun(break)
the act of breaking something
Synonyms: breakage, breaking,
Examples:
The breakage was unavoidable.
break
verb(break)
happen
Synonyms: develop, recrudesce,
break
verb(break)
break down, literally or metaphorically
Synonyms: cave in, collapse, fall in, founder, give, give way,
break
noun(break)
a pause from doing something (as work)
Synonyms: recess, respite, time out,
Examples:
We took a 10-minute break.
break
verb(break)
stop operating or functioning
Synonyms: break down, conk out, die, fail, give out, give way, go, go bad,
break
verb(break)
fracture a bone of
Synonyms: fracture,
break
verb(break)
reduce to bankruptcy
Synonyms: bankrupt, ruin, smash,
Examples:
My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!.
break
verb(break)
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
Synonyms: bump, demote, kick downstairs, relegate,
break
noun(break)
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
Synonyms: fault, faulting, fracture, geological fault, shift,
break
verb(break)
break a piece from a whole
Synonyms: break off, snap off,
Examples:
Break a branch from a tree.
break
verb(break)
make submissive, obedient, or useful
Synonyms: break in,
Examples:
The horse was tough to break.
break
noun(break)
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
break
verb(break)
move away or escape suddenly
Synonyms: break away, break out,
Examples:
Nobody can break out--this prison is high security.
break
noun(break)
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
Synonyms: breach, falling out, rift, rupture, severance,
Examples:
They hoped to avoid a break in relations.
break
noun(break)
some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
Synonyms: interruption,
Examples:
There was a break in the action when a player was hurt.
break
verb(break)
destroy the completeness of a set of related items
Synonyms: break up,
Examples:
The book dealer would not break the set.
break
verb(break)
cease an action temporarily
Synonyms: intermit, pause,
Examples:
Let's break for lunch.
break
noun(break)
an unexpected piece of good luck
Synonyms: good luck, happy chance,
Examples:
He finally got his big break.
break
noun(break)
an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)
Examples:
Then there was a break in her voice.
break
noun(break)
a sudden dash
Examples:
He made a break for the open door.
break
verb(break)
be broken in
Examples:
If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress.
break
verb(break)
become punctured or penetrated
break
verb(break)
cause the failure or ruin of
Antonyms: make,
Examples:
This play will either make or break the playwright.
break
verb(break)
cause to give up a habit
break
verb(break)
change directions suddenly
break
verb(break)
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another
break
verb(break)
come forth or begin from a state of latency
break
verb(break)
come into being
break
verb(break)
come to an end
break
verb(break)
crack; of the male voice in puberty
Examples:
His voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir.
break
verb(break)
curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves
break
verb(break)
destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments
break
verb(break)
diminish or discontinue abruptly
break
verb(break)
emerge from the surface of a body of water
break
verb(break)
exchange for smaller units of money
Examples:
I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy.
break
verb(break)
fall sharply
break
verb(break)
find a flaw in
Examples:
Break an alibi.
Break down a proof.
break
verb(break)
find the solution or key to
Examples:
Break the code.
break
verb(break)
give up
Examples:
Break cigarette smoking.
break
verb(break)
happen or take place
Examples:
Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months.
break
verb(break)
interrupt the flow of current in
Examples:
Break a circuit.
break
verb(break)
invalidate by judicial action
break
verb(break)
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing
break
verb(break)
make the opening shot that scatters the balls
break
verb(break)
pierce or penetrate
break
verb(break)
render inoperable or ineffective
break
verb(break)
scatter or part
break
verb(break)
separate from a clinch, in boxing
break
noun(break)
the occurrence of breaking
Examples:
The break in the dam threatened the valley.
break
noun(break)
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
break
verb(break)
undergo breaking
break
verb(break)
vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity
break
verb(break)
weaken or destroy in spirit or body

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