Open English Wordnet
Nouns
(n)interruption, breaksome 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” (n)fault, faulting, geological fault, shift, fracture, break(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” (n)respite, recess, break, time outa pause from doing something (as work)“we took a 10-minute break”,
“he took time out to recuperate” (n)fracture, breakbreaking of hard tissue such as bone“it was a nasty fracture”,
“the break seems to have been caused by a fall” (n)breakthe occurrence of breaking“the break in the dam threatened the valley” (n)breakan 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” (n)breakthe opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool (n)break, 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” (n)break, interruption, disruption, gapan act of delaying or interrupting the continuity“it was presented without commercial breaks”,
“there was a gap in his account” (n)breaka sudden dash“he made a break for the open door” (n)open frame, breakany frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare“the break in the eighth frame cost him the match” Verbs
(v)interrupt, breakterminate or end“She interrupted her pregnancy”,
“break a lucky streak”,
“break the cycle of poverty” (v)breakrender inoperable or ineffective“You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!” (v)break, bustruin completely“He busted my radio!” (v)breakdestroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments“He broke the glass plate”,
“She broke the match” (v)transgress, offend, infract, violate, go against, breach, breakact 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” (v)break, break out, break awaymove away or escape suddenly“The horses broke from the stable”,
“Three inmates broke jail”,
“Nobody can break out — this prison is high security” (v)breakscatter or part“The clouds broke after the heavy downpour” (v)break, burst, eruptforce out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up“break into tears”,
“erupt in anger” (v)break in, breakenter 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?” (v)break in, breakmake submissive, obedient, or useful“The horse was tough to break”,
“I broke in the new intern” (v)violate, go against, breakfail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns“This sentence violates the rules of syntax” (v)better, breaksurpass in excellence“She bettered her own record”,
“break a record” (v)unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out, uncovermake 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” (v)breakcome into being“light broke over the horizon”,
“Voices broke in the air” (v)fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break, break downstop 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” (v)break, break awayinterrupt a continued activity“She had broken with the traditional patterns” (v)breakmake a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing“The ranks broke” (v)breakcurl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves“The surf broke” (v)breakbe broken in“If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress” (v)breakcome to an end (of an event)“The heat wave finally broke yesterday” (v)breakvary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity“The flat plain was broken by tall mesas” (v)breakcause to give up a habit“She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes” (v)breakgive up“break cigarette smoking” (v)breakcome forth or begin from a state of latency“The first winter storm broke over New York” (v)breakhappen or take place“Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months” (v)breakcause the failure or ruin of“His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage”,
“This play will either make or break the playwright” (v)breakinvalidate by judicial action“The will was broken” (v)separate, part, split up, split, break, break updiscontinue 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” (v)bankrupt, ruin, break, smashreduce to bankruptcy“My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!”,
“The slump in the financial markets smashed him” (v)breakchange directions suddenly (v)breakemerge from the surface of a body of water“The whales broke” (v)collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, break, founderbreak 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” (v)breakexchange for smaller units of money“I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy” (v)break, break updestroy the completeness of a set of related items“The book dealer would not break the set” (v)breakmake the opening shot that scatters the balls (v)breakseparate from a clinch, in boxing“The referee broke the boxers” (v)breakbecome punctured or penetrated“The skin broke” (v)breakpierce or penetrate“The blade broke her skin” (v)pause, intermit, breakcease an action temporarily“We pause for station identification”,
“let's break for lunch” (v)breakinterrupt the flow of current in“break a circuit” (v)breakundergo breaking“The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages” (v)breakfind a flaw in“break an alibi”,
“break down a proof” (v)breakfind the solution or key to“break the code” (v)breakchange suddenly from one tone quality or register to another“Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children” (v)break, recrudesce, develophappen“Report the news as it develops”,
“These political movements recrudesce from time to time” (v)crack, check, breakbecome fractured; break or crack on the surface only“The glass cracked when it was heated” (v)breakcrack; of the male voice in puberty“his voice is breaking — he should no longer sing in the choir” (v)breakfall sharply“stock prices broke” (v)fracture, breakfracture a bone of“I broke my foot while playing hockey”,
“She broke her clavicle” (v)breakdiminish or discontinue abruptly“The patient's fever broke last night” (v)breakweaken or destroy in spirit or body“His resistance was broken”,
“a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death”