as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity
took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breather
The international break is here, giving football fans and punters the chance to take a breather before the domestic season resumes.
—
Brett Koremenos, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
The opportunity to take a breather is a novel one for the Kingpins and Première Vision fixture, who studied at New York’s famed Fashion Institute of Technology before kicking off her career as a merchandising coordinator at Duet Textiles.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 13 Mar. 2025
Lester Holt, the NBC News anchor known for his ability to lead hours of breaking news coverage without pause, is finally ready for a breather.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Then McNeeley checked back in after a brief breather and got 11 points, five rebounds and an assist over those last 12 minutes, and went 9-for-9 from the free throw line, putting the Huskies ahead with 1:42 left.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breather
Noun
-
And with Russia’s Vladimir Putin failing to agree to a full pause in the fighting with Ukraine, signs point to a continuing war and uncertain American support for Ukraine.—
-
The pandemic provided a reprieve for millions of student loan borrowers, as stimulus checks and payment pauses allowed many of them to bring down their balances.—
Noun
-
Both programs survived midseason lulls and now look locked in for the stretch run.—
-
The big picture: After a long lull, Minnesota's stadium politics are about to heat up again.—
Noun
-
After the initial whiplash and loss of breath, I was hooked.—
-
As the market holds its breath, the toll is already undeniable.—
Noun
-
The Tigers trailed Creighton at halftime and led Michigan just 30-29 at the break before pulling away down the stretch of both of those games.—
-
One fan, as Jokic exited the tunnel at the halftime break, bowed two hands to the center in sheer reverence.—
Cite this Entry
“Breather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breather. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share