Word Information

Break

  • Scrabble US/Canada (OTCWL)
  • Scrabble UK (SOWPODS)
  • Words with Friends

Definitions for Break

noun
some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity
Synonyms
interruption
Examples
  1. the telephone is an annoying interruption
  2. there was a break in the action when a player was hurt
noun
an unexpected piece of good luck
Synonyms
good luck happy chance
Examples
  1. he finally got his big break
noun
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other
Synonyms
fault faulting geological fault shift fracture
Examples
  1. they built it right over a geological fault
  2. he studied the faulting of the earth's crust
noun
a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)
Synonyms
rupture breach severance rift falling out
Examples
  1. they hoped to avoid a break in relations
noun
a pause from doing something (as work)
Synonyms
respite recess time out
Examples
  1. we took a 10-minute break
  2. he took time out to recuperate
noun
the act of breaking something
Synonyms
breakage breaking
Examples
  1. the breakage was unavoidable
noun
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
Synonyms
pause intermission interruption suspension
noun
breaking of hard tissue such as bone
Synonyms
fracture
Examples
  1. it was a nasty fracture
  2. the break seems to have been caused by a fall
noun
the occurrence of breaking
Examples
  1. the break in the dam threatened the valley
noun
an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)
Examples
  1. then there was a break in her voice
noun
the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
noun
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving
Synonyms
break of serve
Examples
  1. he was up two breaks in the second set
noun
an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity
Synonyms
interruption disruption gap
Examples
  1. it was presented without commercial breaks
  2. there was a gap in his account
noun
a sudden dash
Examples
  1. he made a break for the open door
noun
any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare
Synonyms
open frame
Examples
  1. the break in the eighth frame cost him the match
noun
an escape from jail
Synonyms
breakout jailbreak gaolbreak prisonbreak prison-breaking
Examples
  1. the breakout was carefully planned
verb
terminate
Synonyms
interrupt
Examples
  1. She interrupted her pregnancy
  2. break a lucky streak
  3. break the cycle of poverty
verb
become separated into pieces or fragments
Synonyms
separate split up fall apart come apart
Examples
  1. The figurine broke
  2. The freshly baked loaf fell apart
verb
render inoperable or ineffective
Examples
  1. You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!
verb
ruin completely
Synonyms
bust
Examples
  1. He busted my radio!
verb
destroy the integrity of
Examples
  1. usually by force
  2. cause to separate into pieces or fragments
  3. He broke the glass plate
  4. She broke the match
verb
act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
Synonyms
transgress offend infract violate go against breach
Examples
  1. offend all laws of humanity
  2. violate the basic laws or human civilization
  3. break a law
  4. break a promise
verb
move away or escape suddenly
Synonyms
break out break away
Examples
  1. The horses broke from the stable
  2. Three inmates broke jail
  3. Nobody can break out--this prison is high security
verb
scatter or part
Examples
  1. The clouds broke after the heavy downpour
verb
force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up
Synonyms
burst erupt
Examples
  1. break into tears
  2. erupt in anger
verb
prevent completion
Synonyms
break off discontinue stop
Examples
  1. stop the project
  2. break off the negotiations
verb
enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act
Synonyms
break in
Examples
  1. Someone broke in while I was on vacation
  2. They broke into my car and stole my radio!
  3. who broke into my account last night?
verb
make submissive, obedient, or useful
Synonyms
break in
Examples
  1. The horse was tough to break
  2. I broke in the new intern
verb
fail to agree with
Synonyms
violate go against
Examples
  1. be in violation of
  2. as of rules or patterns
  3. This sentence violates the rules of syntax
verb
surpass in excellence
Synonyms
better
Examples
  1. She bettered her own record
  2. break a record
verb
make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret
Synonyms
unwrap disclose let on bring out reveal discover expose divulge give away let out uncover
Examples
  1. The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold
  2. The actress won't reveal how old she is
  3. bring out the truth
  4. he broke the news to her
  5. unwrap the evidence in the murder case
  6. The newspaper uncovered the President's illegal dealings
verb
come into being
Examples
  1. light broke over the horizon
  2. Voices broke in the air
verb
stop operating or functioning
Synonyms
fail go bad give way die give out conk out go break down
Examples
  1. The engine finally went
  2. The car died on the road
  3. The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town
  4. The coffee maker broke
  5. The engine failed on the way to town
  6. her eyesight went after the accident
verb
interrupt a continued activity
Synonyms
break away
Examples
  1. She had broken with the traditional patterns
verb
make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing
Examples
  1. The ranks broke
verb
curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves
Examples
  1. The surf broke
verb
lessen in force or effect
Synonyms
dampen damp soften weaken
Examples
  1. soften a shock
  2. break a fall
verb
be broken in
Examples
  1. If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress
verb
come to an end
Examples
  1. The heat wave finally broke yesterday
verb
vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity
Examples
  1. The flat plain was broken by tall mesas
verb
cause to give up a habit
Examples
  1. She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes
verb
give up
Examples
  1. break cigarette smoking
verb
come forth or begin from a state of latency
Examples
  1. The first winter storm broke over New York
verb
happen or take place
Examples
  1. Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months
verb
cause the failure or ruin of
Examples
  1. His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage
  2. This play will either make or break the playwright
verb
invalidate by judicial action
Examples
  1. The will was broken
verb
discontinue an association or relation
Synonyms
separate part split up split break up
Examples
  1. go different ways
  2. The business partners broke over a tax question
  3. The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
  4. My friend and I split up
verb
assign to a lower position
Synonyms
demote bump relegate kick downstairs
Examples
  1. reduce in rank
  2. She was demoted because she always speaks up
  3. He was broken down to Sergeant
verb
reduce to bankruptcy
Synonyms
bankrupt ruin smash
Examples
  1. My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
  2. The slump in the financial markets smashed him
verb
change directions suddenly
verb
emerge from the surface of a body of water
Examples
  1. The whales broke
verb
break down, literally or metaphorically
Synonyms
collapse fall in cave in give give way founder
Examples
  1. The wall collapsed
  2. The business collapsed
  3. The dam broke
  4. The roof collapsed
  5. The wall gave in
  6. The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice
verb
do a break dance
Synonyms
break dance break-dance
Examples
  1. Kids were break-dancing at the street corner
verb
exchange for smaller units of money
Examples
  1. I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy
verb
destroy the completeness of a set of related items
Synonyms
break up
Examples
  1. The book dealer would not break the set
verb
make the opening shot that scatters the balls
verb
separate from a clinch, in boxing
Examples
  1. The referee broke the boxers
verb
go to pieces
Synonyms
wear wear out bust fall apart
Examples
  1. The lawn mower finally broke
  2. The gears wore out
  3. The old chair finally fell apart completely
verb
break a piece from a whole
Synonyms
break off snap off
Examples
  1. break a branch from a tree
verb
become punctured or penetrated
Examples
  1. The skin broke
verb
pierce or penetrate
Examples
  1. The blade broke her skin
verb
be released or become known
Synonyms
get out get around
Examples
  1. of news
  2. News of her death broke in the morning
verb
cease an action temporarily
Synonyms
pause intermit
Examples
  1. We pause for station identification
  2. let's break for lunch
verb
interrupt the flow of current in
Examples
  1. break a circuit
verb
undergo breaking
Examples
  1. The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages
verb
find a flaw in
Examples
  1. break an alibi
  2. break down a proof
verb
find the solution or key to
Examples
  1. break the code
verb
change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another
Examples
  1. Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children
verb
happen
Synonyms
recrudesce develop
Examples
  1. Report the news as it develops
  2. These political movements recrudesce from time to time
verb
become fractured
Synonyms
crack check
Examples
  1. break or crack on the surface only
  2. The glass cracked when it was heated
verb
crack
Examples
  1. of the male voice in puberty
  2. his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir
verb
fall sharply
Examples
  1. stock prices broke
verb
fracture a bone of
Synonyms
fracture
Examples
  1. I broke my foot while playing hockey
verb
diminish or discontinue abruptly
Examples
  1. The patient's fever broke last night
verb
weaken or destroy in spirit or body
Examples
  1. His resistance was broken
  2. a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death

Scrabble (11 points)

Words with Friends (12 points)

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