break
weaken or destroy in spirit or body
His resistance was broken
a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death
breakout
jailbreak
gaolbreak
prisonbreak
prison-breaking
an escape from jail
the breakout was carefully planned
diminish or discontinue abruptly
The patient's fever broke last night
fracture
fracture a bone of
I broke my foot while playing hockey
She broke her clavicle
fall sharply
stock prices broke
open frame
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare
the break in the eighth frame cost him the match
break in
make submissive, obedient, or useful
The horse was tough to break
I broke in the new intern
be broken in
If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress
crack; of the male voice in puberty
his voice is breaking — he should no longer sing in the choir
render inoperable or ineffective
You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!
a sudden dash
he made a break for the open door
separate
split up
fall apart
come apart
become separated into pieces or fragments
The figurine broke
The freshly baked loaf fell apart
destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments
He broke the glass plate
She broke the match
crack
check
become fractured; break or crack on the surface only
The glass cracked when it was heated
recrudesce
develop
happen
Report the news as it develops
These political movements recrudesce from time to time
interrupt
terminate or end
She interrupted her pregnancy
break a lucky streak
break the cycle of poverty
breakage
breaking
the act of breaking something
the breakage was unavoidable
interruption
disruption
gap
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
it was presented without commercial breaks
there was a gap in his account
dampen
damp
soften
weaken
lessen in force or effect
soften a shock
break a fall
fail
go bad
give way
die
give out
conk out
break down
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
The engine failed on the way to town
her eyesight went after the accident
break of serve
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving
he was up two breaks in the second set
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another
Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children
come into being
light broke over the horizon
Voices broke in the air
find the solution or key to
break the code
find a flaw in
break an alibi
break down a proof
undergo breaking
The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages
interrupt the flow of current in
break a circuit
pause
intermit
cease an action temporarily
We pause for station identification
let's break for lunch
unwrap
disclose
let on
bring out
reveal
discover
expose
divulge
give away
let out
uncover
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
unwrap the evidence in the murder case
The newspaper uncovered the President's illegal dealings
get out
get around
be released or become known; of news
News of her death broke in the morning
respite
recess
time out
a pause from doing something (as work)
we took a 10-minute break
he took time out to recuperate
better
surpass in excellence
She bettered her own record
break a record
pierce or penetrate
The blade broke her skin
become punctured or penetrated
The skin broke
break off
snap off
break a piece from a whole
break a branch from a tree
wear
wear out
bust
go to pieces
The lawn mower finally broke
The gears wore out
The old chair finally fell apart completely
ruin completely
He busted my radio!
separate from a clinch, in boxing
The referee broke the boxers
make the opening shot that scatters the balls
break up
destroy the completeness of a set of related items
The book dealer would not break the set
exchange for smaller units of money
I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy
burst
erupt
force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
break into tears
erupt in anger
break dance
break-dance
do a break dance
Kids were break-dancing at the street corner
curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves
The surf broke
collapse
fall in
cave in
give
founder
break down, literally or metaphorically
The wall collapsed
The business collapsed
The dam broke
The roof collapsed
The wall gave in
The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice
emerge from the surface of a body of water
The whales broke
scatter or part
The clouds broke after the heavy downpour
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing
The ranks broke
break out
break away
move away or escape suddenly
The horses broke from the stable
Three inmates broke jail
Nobody can break out — this prison is high security
change directions suddenly
bankrupt
ruin
smash
reduce to bankruptcy
My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
The slump in the financial markets smashed him
demote
bump
relegate
kick downstairs
assign to a lower position; reduce in rank
She was demoted because she always speaks up
He was broken down to Sergeant
part
split
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
invalidate by judicial action
The will was broken
interrupt a continued activity
She had broken with the traditional patterns
cause the failure or ruin of
His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage
This play will either make or break the playwright
transgress
offend
infract
violate
go against
breach
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
offend all laws of humanity
violate the basic laws or human civilization
break a law
break a promise
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?
happen or take place
Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months
come forth or begin from a state of latency
The first winter storm broke over New York
fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
This sentence violates the rules of syntax
discontinue
stop
cease
give up
quit
lay off
put an end to a state or an activity
Quit teasing your little brother
break cigarette smoking
cause to give up a habit
She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes
vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity
The flat plain was broken by tall mesas
come to an end (of an event)
The heat wave finally broke yesterday
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
rupture
severance
rift
falling out
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
they hoped to avoid a break in relations
good luck
happy chance
an unexpected piece of good luck
he finally got his big break
the occurrence of breaking
the break in the dam threatened the valley
some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
the telephone is an annoying interruption
there was a break in the action when a player was hurt
fault
faulting
geological fault
shift
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
they built it right over a geological fault
he studied the faulting of the earth's crust
breaking of hard tissue such as bone
it was a nasty fracture
the break seems to have been caused by a fall
intermission
suspension
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something