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Learn to pronounce break

/brāk/
verb
  1. separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain.
    "the branch broke with a loud snap"
    synonyms: shatter, smash, smash to smithereens, crack, snap, fracture, fragment, splinter, disintegrate, fall to bits, fall to pieces, split, burst, blow out, tear, rend, sever, rupture, separate, divide, bust, shiver
  2. interrupt (a sequence, course, or continuous state).
    "this broke the pattern of generations remaining in the place where they were born"
    synonyms: interrupt, disturb, interfere with
  3. fail to observe (a law, regulation, or agreement).
    "the district attorney says she will prosecute retailers who break the law"
    synonyms: contravene, violate, fail to comply with, fail to observe, disobey, infringe, breach, commit a breach of, transgress against, defy, flout, fly in the face of, ignore, disregard, infract
  4. crush the emotional strength, spirit, or resistance of.
    "the idea was to better the prisoners, not to break them"
  5. (of the weather) change suddenly.
    "the weather broke and thunder rumbled through a leaden sky"
    synonyms: change, undergo a change, alter, shift, metamorphose
  6. (of news or a scandal) suddenly become public.
    "since the news broke I've received thousands of wonderful letters"
    synonyms: erupt, burst out, break out
  7. (chiefly of an attacking player or team, or of a military force) make a rush or dash in a particular direction.
    "the flight broke to the right and formed a defensive circle"

noun
  1. an interruption of continuity or uniformity.
    "the magazine has been published without a break since 1950"
    synonyms: interruption, interval, gap, hiatus, lapse of time, lacuna, discontinuation, discontinuance, discontinuity, suspension, disruption, cutoff, stop, stoppage, cessation, caesura, surcease
  2. a pause in work or during an activity or event.
    "I need a break from mental activity"
    synonyms: rest, respite, interval, breathing space, lull, recess, stop, pause, tea break, coffee break, intermission, interlude, entr'acte, breather, letup, time out, downtime, smoko
  3. a gap or opening.
    "he stopped to wait for a break in the traffic"
    synonyms: gap, opening, space, hole, breach, chink, crack, fissure, cleft, rift, chasm, tear, split, slit, rent, rupture
  4. an instance of breaking something, or the point where something is broken.
    "a break in the valve was being repaired"
  5. a rush or dash in a particular direction, especially by an attacking player or team.
    "he made a bounce pass for a basket on the break in the second quarter"
  6. an opportunity or chance, especially one leading to professional success.
    "he got his break as an entertainer on a TV music hall show"
    synonyms: opportunity, stroke of luck, chance, opening, foot in the door
  7. a consecutive series of successful shots, scoring a specified number of points.
    "a break of 83 put him in front for the first time"

People also ask
May 21, 2024 · verb ; a · to come apart or split into pieces : fragment, shatter. the cup broke when it fell ; b · to open spontaneously or by pressure from within.
to stop having a close relationship with someone, especially stop living with them, or to change a course of action that you have had for a long time:.
broke; break·ing. to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments: He broke a vase. Synonyms: shiver, splinter, fracture.
When you break something, you ruin it. When you take a break, you stop and rest. If you play catch during your lunch break, try not to break any windows.
break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like: to break a chair, a leg, a strap. To crush is to subject to (usually heavy or ...
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[countable] a short period of time when you stop what you are doing and rest, eat, etc. She was on her lunch break. a coffee/tea break; Let's take a break.
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definition 1: to cause to come apart into pieces; smash. She broke the nutshell with a hammer.
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break verb (REST). B1. to stop the activity you are doing to have a short rest: Let's break for five minutes and have a drink.
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break entry 2 (in sense "solo instrumental passage") + -ing entry 1; from the performance of acrobatic dances during a cued series of instrumental breaks in ...
adjective. (of a news story) currently developing or having happened recently and being released for publication or airing, as on television or radio, in print ...