verb

break

brayk

verb

To separate something into pieces by force, often suddenly.

"She dropped the vase and it broke into a dozen pieces."

"He broke his arm falling off his bike."

To stop working properly; to malfunction.

"My laptop broke the day before the deadline."

To fail to keep (a promise, rule, or law).

"He broke his promise to call every day."

To interrupt or bring an end to something continuous.

"The silence was finally broken by a burst of laughter."

noun

A short pause or rest from an activity.

"Let's take a fifteen-minute break before the next session."

"She needed a break from work after months of overtime."

A sudden change, gap, or interruption.

"There was a break in the clouds just as the sun set."

How to Use Break

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOne of English's most flexible verbs — covering fracturing, malfunctioning, interrupting, and violating rules — plus a noun for a pause or gap.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with brake (to slow a vehicle) — they sound identical but are unrelated.

Easily confused with

brake →

Common pairings

take a break break a promise break down lucky break

Word Forms

broke past tense, brake past tense, broken past tense, breaked past tense, break plural, broke plural, breaks plural, breaks singular, break singular, broke singular, brokest singular, breakest singular, breaketh singular, breaks singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Let's take a fifteen-minute _____ before the next session.

Etymology

From Old English brecan ("to break"), an ancient Germanic word related to Latin frangere — the root behind English words like fracture and fragment.

Synonyms

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burst bust shatter shear smash split bisect fracture subject tame go against violate

Antonyms

assemble fix join mend put together repair hold

Related Words

abandon rape kill subject neuter graft deem build

Rhymes for break

weak beak leak peak teak speak wreak bleak creak freak sneak steak

See all rhymes for break →

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