Synonyms of breaking
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as in disrupting
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1
as in disrupting
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase
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2
as in stopping
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
as in reducing
to bring to a lower grade or rank
the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander
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4
as in deciphering
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis
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5
as in pausing
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime
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6
as in plowing
to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement
farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows
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7
as in violating
to fail to keep
had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone
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8
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds
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9
as in damaging
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in dying
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in retreating
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above
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12
as in wearing
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in spreading
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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14
as in bankrupting
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts
another bad investment could break him
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15
as in originating
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in veering
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds
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17
as in lowering
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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18
as in exceeding
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
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19
as in surfacing
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below
dolphins were breaking all around the boat
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of breaking
Unfortunately for Hutchinson, this was his least distinguished game since breaking into the team last month.
—
Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Chris Redd is breaking his silence on the circumstances that led to him dating Saturday Night Live castmate Kenan Thompson's ex-wife, Christina Evangeline.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
Eleven days after the courthouse escape, Hollywood police caught Braddy breaking into a store, the Herald archives say.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Povec eliminates the hassle of changing gear by letting users fine-tune their vision without breaking their stride.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal.
—Jack Armstrong, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 6 Jan. 2026
His most recent stop before Arkansas was in Baltimore, Maryland, as a night and breaking news editor.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking
Verb
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Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, disrupting plans for thousands of travelers during a busy holiday weekend and in a region that experts say is among the most popular for travelers this time of year.—
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One woman, Trish, told CBS News the fear was already disrupting daily life amid an influx of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area.—
Verb
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The Rhode founder and her stylist Dani Michele delivered a show-stopping moment on the red carpet, pulling a shimmering 2009 Armani Privé gown from the archives.—
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Stroll through the Funk Zone, stopping at wineries, breweries, and local shops along the way.—
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights are not illuminated, reducing the risk of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
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Permeable pavers allow rainwater to soak into the ground, reducing flood risk, while offering an upscale look.—
Verb
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Dreams are a concept that humans have been fascinated with deciphering for thousands of years.—
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Though historians have called for further research before making claims, the proposal of a script rooted in sign language might open the chance to explore a new way of deciphering Mayan art and show the ancient civilization to be even more sophisticated and efficient than scholars even knew.—
Verb
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Also on his to-do list is an order to temporarily pausing certain city contracts, while suspending others.—
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What's gone is Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania is temporarily pausing certain services at its locations in the region.—
Verb
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However, plowing through a thick blanket of snow, which inevitably hides everything beneath it, naturally comes with some risk, and many homeowners’ mailboxes are the first thing to take a direct hit.—
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During the storm, crews will be out treating the roads, plowing snow, and working to maintain safe and passable roadways.—
Verb
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Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.—
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The 22-year-old woman died while in police custody after being detained for allegedly violating dress codes.—
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By solving the problem of high credit card APRs, a rate cap could very well end up hurting those it was intended to help.—
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This makes solving the puzzle considerably more difficult.—
Cite this Entry
“Breaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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