break

stop operating or functioning“The engine finally went”

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”

be released or become known; of news“News of her death broke in the morning”

break down, literally or metaphorically“The wall collapsed”

render inoperable or ineffective“You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!”

put an end to a state or an activity“Quit teasing your little brother”

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises“offend all laws of humanity”

ruin completely“He busted my radio!”

discontinue an association or relation; go different ways“The business partners broke over a tax question”

go to pieces“The lawn mower finally broke”

become fractured; break or crack on the surface only“The glass cracked when it was heated”

become separated into pieces or fragments“The figurine broke”

destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments“He broke the glass plate”

lessen in force or effect“soften a shock”

assign to a lower position; reduce in rank“She was demoted because she always speaks up”

reduce to bankruptcy“My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!”

happen“Report the news as it develops”

move away or escape suddenly“The horses broke from the stable”

force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up“break into tears”

fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns“This sentence violates the rules of syntax”

make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing“The ranks broke”

do a break dance“Kids were break-dancing at the street corner”

break a piece from a whole“break a branch from a tree”

cease an action temporarily“We pause for station identification”

fracture a bone of“I broke my foot while playing hockey”

terminate or end“She interrupted her pregnancy”

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”

make submissive, obedient, or useful“The horse was tough to break”

surpass in excellence“She bettered her own record”

interrupt a continued activity“She had broken with the traditional patterns”

be broken in“If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress”

exchange for smaller units of money“I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy”

destroy the completeness of a set of related items“The book dealer would not break the set”

scatter or part“The clouds broke after the heavy downpour”

come into being“light broke over the horizon”

curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves“The surf broke”

come to an end“The heat wave finally broke yesterday”

vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity“The flat plain was broken by tall mesas”

cause to give up a habit“She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes”

give up“break cigarette smoking”

come forth or begin from a state of latency“The first winter storm broke over New York”

happen or take place“Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months”

cause the failure or ruin of“His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage”

invalidate by judicial action“The will was broken”

change directions suddenly

emerge from the surface of a body of water“The whales broke”

make the opening shot that scatters the balls

separate from a clinch, in boxing“The referee broke the boxers”

become punctured or penetrated“The skin broke”

pierce or penetrate“The blade broke her skin”

interrupt the flow of current in“break a circuit”

undergo breaking“The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages”

find a flaw in“break an alibi”

find the solution or key to“break the code”

change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another“Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children”

crack; of the male voice in puberty“his voice is breaking — he should no longer sing in the choir”

fall sharply“stock prices broke”

diminish or discontinue abruptly“The patient's fever broke last night”

weaken or destroy in spirit or body“His resistance was broken”

(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”

a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)“they hoped to avoid a break in relations”

an escape from jail“the breakout was carefully planned”

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

a pause from doing something (as work)“we took a 10-minute break”

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity“it was presented without commercial breaks”

an unexpected piece of good luck“he finally got his big break”

the act of breaking something“the breakage was unavoidable”

some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity“the telephone is an annoying interruption”

breaking of hard tissue such as bone“it was a nasty fracture”

(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving“he was up two breaks in the second set”

any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare“the break in the eighth frame cost him the match”

the occurrence of breaking“the break in the dam threatened the valley”

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”

the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

a sudden dash“he made a break for the open door”