break
- fissure, opening n.
- interruption of activity n.
- change from friendly to unfriendly relationship n.
- lucky happening n.
- destroy; make whole into pieces v.
- violate law v.
- weaken, cause instability v.
- stop an action v.
- tell news v.
- better a performance v.
- emerge, happen v.
- run away v.
- weaken something's effect v.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In Texas, voters in majority-Latino districts near San Antonio and along the border helped Democrats break Republicans’ long-standing grip on the state to win the races for governor, lieutenant governor and senator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
But it may only be a matter of time before the break becomes definitive.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Otherwise it is going to be an unhappy international break for Sunderland and their passionate fanbase.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Ricky Hirsch would never have guessed that his big break would come from a prison vending machine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
Took me forever to distinguish up from down and break the surface of the water.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
The BBC's Ros Atkins breaks down the dramatic shift in the state between the 2024 election and the 2026 midterms.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
This rotation breaks a form of symmetry that exists in conventional antiferromagnets.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
In an apparent recognition of the unions' demands, Puente, who has refused to resign, said the working conditions of control centre operators would be reformed, including their breaks and monitoring their fatigue levels.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026
If either side breaks or threatens new escalations, prices may move higher, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
His mouth opens and closes a few times and I think he’s going to, I think he’s going to say it, but then the moment passes, the spell breaks.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Debotte told the court she shouted "bike" three times, but Richardson made no attempt to slow down or brake before the Volvo smashed into the left side of the cyclist.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Police found no brake marks that would have indicated she had tried to stop before crashing, according to the records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
But he escaped a five-second penalty because one of the transgressions was when he suffered a long brake pedal caused by heat soak after his pit stop, so he was excused.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
He invented the Westinghouse air brake, making train travel safe and comfortable, and founded the Westinghouse Electric Co.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
“My dad’s put on big tires and a padded seat to make the ride comfortable, plus there’s a wide seat belt and a hand brake for safety.”
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Her disapproval ratings had remained high ever since the Palisades fire in 2025, which broke out when she was out of the country on a diplomatic mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
The ceasefire broke down in November 2020, when Polisario said it was resuming armed struggle.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
When the news broke Sunday, she was scrolling through her phone.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
Last week, the Nasdaq-100 broke through its support level of 28,875, according to Katie Stockton, founder of technical research and analysis firm Fairlead Strategies.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
One of them broke from the others and started for us.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
I told her in my broken Portuguese that no, thank you, I was just looking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Peptides can be broken down relatively quickly, potentially requiring frequent injections.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Andorra, Tenerife's opponents on Monday, said: "With broken hearts and devastated, we want to send our most sincere condolences to the family of Jesus de Miguel, to all his team-mates, friends, and to CD Tenerife."
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
The risk is that consumers’ incomes won’t be able to keep up with prices, resulting in debt, broken budgets and an inability to keep spending.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026
These relics were set aside, and the digging resumed with the shout, “Great God! Here are the pieces of a broken bowl!”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
"Our country is more successful right now than at any time in its history," he said, before breaking off in mid-sentence and pointing to the ceiling.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Physicists have already identified objects resembling black holes in some of these theoretical models that can become unstable and start breaking apart.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Maha Kamal, a Denver family lawyer, joined a custody case on behalf of a mother after the children’s father began peppering the court with filings that accused her of breaking the judge’s orders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Bushby left Chile in 1998 to head home to the UK without breaking two self-imposed rules: not to return to the UK until he had completed his journey, and not to use transport to advance.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
“Whatever happens,” she said at last, “you brought it on yourself by breaking the laws!”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Vocabulary lists containing break
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Spelling Practice, Unit 6
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