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break
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- pronunciation:
- breIk
- parts of speech:
- verb, noun
- phrases:
- break down, break into, break the law
- features:
- Homophone Note, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
breaks, breaking, broke, broken |
| definition 1: |
When you break something, it comes apart into pieces. Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes it's not.
I can break this chocolate bar in half. Then Alan and I can both have some.My little brother is washing the glasses. I hope he doesn't break them.
- synonyms:
- shatter, smash, snap
- similar words:
- clip, crash, crush, grind, mash, splinter, split, tear
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| definition 2: |
When you break something, you do something to it and now it doesn't work anymore.
Logan broke his computer when he spilled a glass of water on it.- synonyms:
- destroy, ruin, shatter, wreck
- antonyms:
- mend
- similar words:
- blast, crack, crash, damage, total
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| definition 3: |
When you break something that has been going on for a long time, you interrupt it and cause it to stop.
Nobody could answer the teacher's question and the teacher was still waiting. Finally, Latoya broke the silence and tried to answer.- synonyms:
- interrupt
- similar words:
- change, disrupt
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| definition 4: |
To break a piece of news means to let people know about it. Often, this piece of news is something that is bad or gives people a shock.
The police broke the news about the accident to the young man's family.- synonyms:
- expose, reveal, uncover
- similar words:
- bare, betray
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| definition 5: |
When you break something, it sometimes means that you don't obey, or you don't do what you are supposed to do. When you break the law, you do something that the law says you can't do. If you break a promise, you don't do the thing that you promised.
If you don't stop at a stop sign when you are riding a bike, you are breaking the law.Maria promised that she would not tell Lena's secret, but she broke her promise when she told Isabel.- synonyms:
- disobey
- antonyms:
- keep, observe
- similar words:
- neglect, oppose
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| definition 6: |
If someone breaks a record, they go beyond what any other person has done before. For example, maybe they run faster than anyone has ever run before. Or maybe they eat more hot dogs than anyone has ever eaten before.
The swimmer from Brazil broke the world record for the fastest swimming.- synonyms:
- better, top
- similar words:
- beat, cap, overcome
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| definition 7: |
When something breaks, it comes apart into pieces.
I dropped my mom's favorite bowl today, but it didn't break. I was lucky!During the storm, a big branch from a tree broke and fell in our yard.- synonyms:
- crack, shatter, smash, snap
- similar words:
- clip, crash, splinter, split, tear
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| definition 8: |
When something breaks, it stops working right. Sometimes you can fix it, but sometimes you can't.
My mom's alarm clock broke, so we were late to school today.- similar words:
- crack, fail
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| related words: |
burst, chip, die, kill, part, pause, section, separate, snap |
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| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
When you stop what you are doing to do something else, you take a break. In school, you take a break from your class work to go outside or to eat your lunch.
Mom says she'll take a break from work soon and take us to the pool.- synonyms:
- interruption, pause
- similar words:
- gap, halt, interval, recess, rest, stop
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| related words: |
vacation |
| phrase: |
break down, break into, break the law |
| derivation: |
breakable (adj.) |
Are you looking for the word brake (a stopping device)? Break and brake sound alike but have different meanings.
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