1.some abrupt occurrence that interrupts;
the telephone is an annoying interruption
2.an unexpected piece of good luck;
he finally got his big break
3.(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
4.a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions);
they hoped to avoid a break in relations
5.a pause from doing something (as work);
we took a 10-minute break
6.the act of breaking something;
the breakage was unavoidable
7.a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
8.breaking of hard tissue such as bone;
it was a nasty fracture
9.the occurrence of breaking;
the break in the dam threatened the valley
10. the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
11. (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving;
he was up two breaks in the second set
12. an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity;
it was presented without commercial breaks
13. a sudden dash;
he made a break for the open door
14. any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare;
the break in the eighth frame cost him the match
15. an escape from jail;
the breakout was carefully planned
1.terminate;
She interrupted her pregnancy
2.become separated into pieces or fragments;
The figurine broke
3.destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments;
He broke the glass plate
4.render inoperable or ineffective;
You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!
5.ruin completely;
He busted my radio!
6.act in disregard of laws and rules;
offend all laws of humanity
7.move away or escape suddenly;
The horses broke from the stable
8.scatter or part;
The clouds broke after the heavy downpour
9.force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up;
break into tears
10. prevent completion;
stop the project
11. enter someone's property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act;
Someone broke in while I was on vacation
12. make submissive, obedient, or useful;
The horse was tough to break
13. fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns;
This sentence violates the rules of syntax
14. surpass in excellence;
She bettered her own record
15. 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
16. come into being;
light broke over the horizon
17. stop operating or functioning;
The engine finally went
18. interrupt a continued activity;
She had broken with the traditional patterns
19. make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing;
The ranks broke
20. curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves;
The surf broke
21. lessen in force or effect;
soften a shock
22. be broken in;
If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress
23. come to an end;
The heat wave finally broke yesterday
24. vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity;
The flat plain was broken by tall mesas
25. cause to give up a habit;
She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes
26. give up;
break cigarette smoking
27. come forth or begin from a state of latency;
The first winter storm broke over New York
28. happen or take place;
Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months
29. cause the failure or ruin of;
His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage
30. invalidate by judicial action;
The will was broken
31. discontinue an association or relation; go different ways;
The business partners broke over a tax question
32. assign to a lower position; reduce in rank;
She was demoted because she always speaks up
33. reduce to bankruptcy;
My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
34. change directions suddenly
35. emerge from the surface of a body of water;
The whales broke
36. break down, literally or metaphorically;
The wall collapsed
37. do a break dance;
Kids were break-dancing at the street corner
38. exchange for smaller units of money;
I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy
39. destroy the completeness of a set of related items;
The book dealer would not break the set
40. make the opening shot that scatters the balls
41. separate from a clinch, in boxing;
The referee broke the boxers
42. go to pieces;
The lawn mower finally broke
43. break a piece from a whole;
break a branch from a tree
44. become punctured or penetrated;
The skin broke
45. pierce or penetrate;
The blade broke her skin
46. be released or become known; of news;
News of her death broke in the morning
47. cease an action temporarily;
We pause for station identification
48. interrupt the flow of current in;
break a circuit
49. undergo breaking;
The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages
50. find a flaw in;
break an alibi
51. find the solution or key to;
break the code
52. change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another;
Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children
53. happen;
Report the news as it develops
54. become fractured; break or crack on the surface only;
The glass cracked when it was heated
55. of the male voice in puberty;
his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir
56. fall sharply;
stock prices broke
57. fracture a bone of;
I broke my foot while playing hockey
58. diminish or discontinue abruptly;
The patient's fever broke last night
59. weaken or destroy in spirit or body;
His resistance was broken