BREAK - Definition & Meaning for Kids

Meaning 1

Part of speech: Verb

become separated into pieces or fragments

Example: The figurine broke; The freshly baked loaf fell apart

Categories: Change integrity

Meaning 2

Part of speech: Verb

force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up

Example: break into tears; erupt in anger

Categories: Express emotion, Express feelings

Meaning 3

Part of speech: Verb

prevent completion

Example: stop the project; break off the negotiations

Categories: End, Terminate

Meaning 4

Part of speech: Noun

the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

Categories: Stroke, Shot

Meaning 5

Part of speech: Noun

(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving

Example: he was up two breaks in the second set

Categories: Score

Meaning 6

Part of speech: Noun

an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity

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

Categories: Delay, Holdup

Meaning 7

Part of speech: Noun

a sudden dash

Example: he made a break for the open door

Categories: Dash, Sprint

Meaning 8

Part of speech: Verb

come into being

Example: light broke over the horizon; Voices broke in the air

Categories: Become, Go, Get

Meaning 9

Part of speech: Verb

render inoperable or ineffective

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

Categories: Damage

Meaning 10

Part of speech: Verb

ruin completely

Example: He busted my radio!

Categories: Destroy, Ruin

Meaning 11

Part of speech: Verb

destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments

Example: He broke the glass plate; She broke the match

Categories: Separate, Divide

Meaning 12

Part of speech: Verb

move away or escape suddenly

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

Categories: Escape, Get away, Break loose

Meaning 13

Part of speech: Verb

scatter or part

Example: The clouds broke after the heavy downpour

Categories: Disperse, Dissipate, Scatter, Spread out

Meaning 14

Part of speech: Verb

interrupt a continued activity

Example: She had broken with the traditional patterns

Categories: Separate, Part, Split up, Split, Break, Break up

Meaning 15

Part of speech: Verb

make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing

Example: The ranks broke

Categories: Flee, Fly, Take flight

Meaning 16

Part of speech: Verb

curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves

Example: The surf broke

Categories: Collapse, Fall in, Cave in, Give, Give way, Break, Founder

Meaning 17

Part of speech: Verb

be broken in

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

Categories: Change

Meaning 18

Part of speech: Verb

come to an end

Example: The heat wave finally broke yesterday

Categories: End, Stop, Finish, Terminate, Cease

Meaning 19

Part of speech: Verb

vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity

Example: The flat plain was broken by tall mesas

Categories: Change, Alter, Vary

Meaning 20

Part of speech: Verb

cause to give up a habit

Example: She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes

Meaning 21

Part of speech: Verb

give up

Example: break cigarette smoking

Categories: Discontinue, Stop, Cease, Give up, Quit, Lay off

Meaning 22

Part of speech: Verb

come forth or begin from a state of latency

Example: The first winter storm broke over New York

Categories: Come forth, Emerge

Meaning 23

Part of speech: Verb

happen or take place

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

Categories: Happen, Hap, Go on, Pass off, Occur, Pass, Fall out, Come about, Take place

Meaning 24

Part of speech: Verb

cause the failure or ruin of

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

Categories: Ruin

Meaning 25

Part of speech: Verb

invalidate by judicial action

Example: The will was broken

Categories: Invalidate, Annul, Quash, Void, Avoid, Nullify

Meaning 26

Part of speech: Verb

change directions suddenly

Categories: Switch, Shift, Change

Meaning 27

Part of speech: Verb

emerge from the surface of a body of water

Example: The whales broke

Categories: Appear

Meaning 28

Part of speech: Verb

exchange for smaller units of money

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

Categories: Change, Exchange, Commute, Convert

Meaning 29

Part of speech: Verb

destroy the completeness of a set of related items

Example: The book dealer would not break the set

Categories: Change, Alter, Modify

Meaning 30

Part of speech: Verb

make the opening shot that scatters the balls

Categories: Shoot

Meaning 31

Part of speech: Verb

separate from a clinch, in boxing

Example: The referee broke the boxers

Categories: Separate, Disunite, Divide, Part

Meaning 32

Part of speech: Verb

go to pieces

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

Categories: Decay, Crumble, Dilapidate

Meaning 33

Part of speech: Verb

break a piece from a whole

Example: break a branch from a tree

Categories: Detach

Meaning 34

Part of speech: Verb

become punctured or penetrated

Example: The skin broke

Meaning 35

Part of speech: Verb

pierce or penetrate

Example: The blade broke her skin

Categories: Penetrate, Perforate

Meaning 36

Part of speech: Verb

be released or become known; of news

Example: News of her death broke in the morning

Meaning 37

Part of speech: Verb

interrupt the flow of current in

Example: break a circuit

Categories: Interrupt, Disrupt, Break up, Cut off

Meaning 38

Part of speech: Verb

undergo breaking

Example: The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages

Categories: Diphthongize, Diphthongise

Meaning 39

Part of speech: Verb

find a flaw in

Example: break an alibi; break down a proof

Categories: Destroy, Ruin

Meaning 40

Part of speech: Verb

find the solution or key to

Example: break the code

Categories: Solve, Work out, Figure out, Puzzle out, Lick, Work

Meaning 41

Part of speech: Verb

change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another

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

Categories: Switch, Shift, Change

Meaning 42

Part of speech: Verb

happen

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

Categories: Happen, Hap, Go on, Pass off, Occur, Pass, Fall out, Come about, Take place

Meaning 43

Part of speech: Verb

crack; of the male voice in puberty

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

Categories: Change state, Turn

Meaning 44

Part of speech: Verb

fall sharply

Example: stock prices broke

Categories: Decrease, Diminish, Lessen, Fall

Meaning 45

Part of speech: Verb

diminish or discontinue abruptly

Example: The patient's fever broke last night

Categories: Decrease, Diminish, Lessen, Fall

Meaning 46

Part of speech: Verb

weaken or destroy in spirit or body

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

Categories: Weaken