break

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”

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”

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”

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”

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 (of an event)

“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”

do a break dance

“Kids were break-dancing at the street corner”

“Sam and Sue break”

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”

“The stock market is going to break”

fracture a bone of

“I broke my foot while playing hockey”

“She broke her clavicle”

“Did he break his foot?”

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”

put an end to a state or an activity

“Quit teasing your little brother”