Inside the Universes

Words with a similar base: break, break-dance, break_away, break_dance, break_down, break_in, break_of_serve, break_off, break_out, break_up, breakage, breaking, breakout, gaolbreak, jailbreak, prison-breaking, prisonbreak

'break'

[interruption.n.02] as in: some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity

Examples:
the telephone is an annoying interruption
there was a break in the action when a player was hurt

'break'

[break.n.02] as in: an unexpected piece of good luck

Examples:
he finally got his big break

'break'

[fault.n.04] as in: (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

Examples:
they built it right over a geological fault
he studied the faulting of the earth's crust

'break'

[rupture.n.02] as in: a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)

Examples:
they hoped to avoid a break in relations

'break'

[respite.n.02] as in: a pause from doing something (as work)

Examples:
we took a 10-minute break
he took time out to recuperate

'break'

[breakage.n.03] as in: the act of breaking something

Examples:
the breakage was unavoidable

'break'

[pause.n.01] as in: a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

'break'

[fracture.n.01] as in: breaking of hard tissue such as bone

Examples:
it was a nasty fracture
the break seems to have been caused by a fall

'break'

[break.n.09] as in: the occurrence of breaking

Examples:
the break in the dam threatened the valley

'break'

[break.n.10] as in: an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)

Examples:
then there was a break in her voice

'break'

[break.n.11] as in: the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

'break'

[break.n.12] as in: (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving

Examples:
he was up two breaks in the second set

'break'

[break.n.13] as in: an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

Examples:
it was presented without commercial breaks
there was a gap in his account

'break'

[break.n.14] as in: a sudden dash

Examples:
he made a break for the open door

'break'

[open_frame.n.01] as in: any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare

Examples:
the break in the eighth frame cost him the match

'break'

[break.n.16] as in: an escape from jail

Examples:
the breakout was carefully planned

'break'

[interrupt.v.04] as in: terminate

Examples:
She interrupted her pregnancy
break a lucky streak
break the cycle of poverty

'break'

[break.v.02] as in: become separated into pieces or fragments

Examples:
The figurine broke
The freshly baked loaf fell apart

'break'

[break.v.03] as in: render inoperable or ineffective

Examples:
You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!

'break'

[break.v.04] as in: ruin completely

Examples:
He busted my radio!

'break'

[break.v.05] as in: destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments

Examples:
He broke the glass plate
She broke the match

'break'

[transgress.v.01] as in: act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

Examples:
offend all laws of humanity
violate the basic laws or human civilization
break a law
break a promise

'break'

[break.v.07] as in: move away or escape suddenly

Examples:
The horses broke from the stable
Three inmates broke jail
Nobody can break out--this prison is high security

'break'

[break.v.08] as in: scatter or part

Examples:
The clouds broke after the heavy downpour

'break'

[break.v.09] as in: force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up

Examples:
break into tears
erupt in anger

'break'

[break.v.10] as in: prevent completion

Examples:
stop the project
break off the negotiations

'break'

[break_in.v.01] as in: enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act

Examples:
Someone broke in while I was on vacation
They broke into my car and stole my radio!
who broke into my account last night?

'break'

[break_in.v.06] as in: make submissive, obedient, or useful

Examples:
The horse was tough to break
I broke in the new intern

'break'

[violate.v.01] as in: fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns

Examples:
This sentence violates the rules of syntax

'break'

[better.v.01] as in: surpass in excellence

Examples:
She bettered her own record
break a record

'break'

[unwrap.v.02] as in: make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret

Examples:
The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold
The actress won't reveal how old she is
bring out the truth
he broke the news to her
unwrap the evidence in the murder case

'break'

[break.v.16] as in: come into being

Examples:
light broke over the horizon
Voices broke in the air

'break'

[fail.v.04] as in: stop operating or functioning

Examples:
The engine finally went
The car died on the road
The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town
The coffee maker broke
The engine failed on the way to town
her eyesight went after the accident

'break'

[break.v.18] as in: interrupt a continued activity

Examples:
She had broken with the traditional patterns

'break'

[break.v.19] as in: make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing

Examples:
The ranks broke

'break'

[break.v.20] as in: curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves

Examples:
The surf broke

'break'

[dampen.v.07] as in: lessen in force or effect

Examples:
soften a shock
break a fall

'break'

[break.v.22] as in: be broken in

Examples:
If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress

'break'

[break.v.23] as in: come to an end

Examples:
The heat wave finally broke yesterday

'break'

[break.v.24] as in: vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity

Examples:
The flat plain was broken by tall mesas

'break'

[break.v.25] as in: cause to give up a habit

Examples:
She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes

'break'

[break.v.26] as in: give up

Examples:
break cigarette smoking

'break'

[break.v.27] as in: come forth or begin from a state of latency

Examples:
The first winter storm broke over New York

'break'

[break.v.28] as in: happen or take place

Examples:
Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months

'break'

[break.v.29] as in: cause the failure or ruin of

Examples:
His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage
This play will either make or break the playwright

'break'

[break.v.30] as in: invalidate by judicial action

Examples:
The will was broken

'break'

[separate.v.08] as in: discontinue an association or relation; go different ways

Examples:
The business partners broke over a tax question
The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
My friend and I split up

'break'

[demote.v.01] as in: assign to a lower position; reduce in rank

Examples:
She was demoted because she always speaks up
He was broken down to Sergeant

'break'

[bankrupt.v.01] as in: reduce to bankruptcy

Examples:
My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
The slump in the financial markets smashed him

'break'

[break.v.34] as in: change directions suddenly

'break'

[break.v.35] as in: emerge from the surface of a body of water

Examples:
The whales broke

'break'

[collapse.v.01] as in: break down, literally or metaphorically

Examples:
The wall collapsed
The business collapsed
The dam broke
The roof collapsed
The wall gave in
The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice

'break'

[break_dance.v.01] as in: do a break dance

Examples:
Kids were break-dancing at the street corner

'break'

[break.v.38] as in: exchange for smaller units of money

Examples:
I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy

'break'

[break.v.39] as in: destroy the completeness of a set of related items

Examples:
The book dealer would not break the set

'break'

[break.v.40] as in: make the opening shot that scatters the balls

'break'

[break.v.41] as in: separate from a clinch, in boxing

Examples:
The referee broke the boxers

'break'

[break.v.42] as in: go to pieces

Examples:
The lawn mower finally broke
The gears wore out
The old chair finally fell apart completely

'break'

[break.v.43] as in: break a piece from a whole

Examples:
break a branch from a tree

'break'

[break.v.44] as in: become punctured or penetrated

Examples:
The skin broke

'break'

[break.v.45] as in: pierce or penetrate

Examples:
The blade broke her skin

'break'

[break.v.46] as in: be released or become known; of news

Examples:
News of her death broke in the morning

'break'

[pause.v.02] as in: cease an action temporarily

Examples:
We pause for station identification
let's break for lunch

'break'

[break.v.48] as in: interrupt the flow of current in

Examples:
break a circuit

'break'

[break.v.49] as in: undergo breaking

Examples:
The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages

'break'

[break.v.50] as in: find a flaw in

Examples:
break an alibi
break down a proof

'break'

[break.v.51] as in: find the solution or key to

Examples:
break the code

'break'

[break.v.52] as in: change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another

Examples:
Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children

'break'

[break.v.53] as in: happen

Examples:
Report the news as it develops
These political movements recrudesce from time to time

'break'

[crack.v.01] as in: become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

Examples:
The glass cracked when it was heated

'break'

[break.v.55] as in: crack; of the male voice in puberty

Examples:
his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir

'break'

[break.v.56] as in: fall sharply

Examples:
stock prices broke

'break'

[fracture.v.06] as in: fracture a bone of

Examples:
I broke my foot while playing hockey

'break'

[break.v.58] as in: diminish or discontinue abruptly

Examples:
The patient's fever broke last night

'break'

[break.v.59] as in: weaken or destroy in spirit or body

Examples:
His resistance was broken
a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death

Origins

					break (English)
└── breken (Middle English (1100-1500))
    └── brecan (Old English (ca. 450-1100))