Class with Mason: School of Literary Studies & Intellectual Arts. Free courses, notes on poems, novels, plays, literary movements, Critical Literary Theories, line-by-line modern translations of Shakespeare's plays, Study Guides, and more. Chart of All Major Literary Terms, All Literary Biographies, Language lab, poetry albums, audiobooks, and complementary Smart Tools like Image Converters for JPG, PNG, webp, BMP, pdf, AVIF, and more. Explore now
Explore a collection of phrasal verbs with "break" and their meanings. From leaving suddenly to disintegration and entering forcefully, delve into their usage and examples.
1. Break away (Leave suddenly):
She decided to break away from her toxic relationship and start afresh.
They witnessed the prisoner attempting to break away from the guards during the chaos.
He felt the need to break away from the routine and explore new horizons.
2. Break away (Become separated, literally or figuratively):
The iceberg broke away from the glacier and drifted into the ocean.
They watched as the crowd broke away into smaller groups, dispersing in different directions.
She finally managed to break away from the negative influences in her life.
3. Break down (Fail, to cease to function):
The car broke down in the middle of the highway, causing a traffic jam.
They experienced a power outage, causing the entire system to break down.
She felt overwhelmed and broke down under the pressure of the workload.
4. Break down (Render or become unstable due to stress, to collapse physically or mentally):
The athlete broke down during the marathon, unable to continue due to exhaustion.
He struggled to cope with the emotional turmoil and eventually broke down in tears.
They witnessed their friend breaking down after the loss of a loved one.
5. Break down (Render or become weak and ineffective):
The immune system broke down and couldn't fight off the infection.
She realized her arguments would break down under closer scrutiny.
They observed how the communication between the team members broke down over time.
6. Break down (Decay, to decompose):
The fallen leaves broke down over time, returning nutrients to the soil.
They studied the process by which organic matter breaks down into simpler compounds.
She learned about the role of microorganisms in helping organic material break down naturally.
7. Break down (Divide into parts to give more details, to provide a more in-depth analysis of):
The report broke down the financial data, providing a clear overview of the company's performance.
He decided to break down the complex concept into simpler terms for better understanding.
They requested the instructor to break down the steps of the equation to solve it more easily.
8. Break down (Digest):
The enzymes in the stomach help break down food into nutrients.
She struggled to break down the information presented in the dense textbook.
They learned how the digestive system works to break down and absorb nutrients from food.
9. Break even (Neither gain nor lose money):
The business managed to break even after a challenging year of expenses and revenue.
They calculated the costs and revenues to determine whether they would break even on the project.
She hoped that the sales would be enough to break even and cover the production costs.
10. Break even (Stay the same; to neither advance nor regress):
The score remained tied, and both teams broke even after a competitive match.
They realized that despite their efforts, they would break even in terms of progress.
She hoped to break even and maintain her current level of fitness during the vacation.
11. Break in (Enter a place by force or illicit means):
The thieves attempted to break in through the back entrance of the house.
She heard a suspicious noise and suspected someone was trying to break in.
They installed security cameras to prevent burglars from breaking in to their property.
12. Break in (Cause to function more naturally through use or wear):
He wore the new shoes for a few days to break them in and make them more comfortable.
She advised her friend to break in the new car engine gently to avoid any mechanical issues.
They patiently waited for the musical instrument to be broken in and reach its optimal sound quality.
13. Break off (End a relationship):
They decided to break off their engagement due to irreconcilable differences.
She realized it was time to break off the toxic friendship that was bringing her down.
He struggled to break off the long-term relationship, fearing the consequences.
14. Break off (To stop (temporarily)):
break off the meeting for a short break and reconvene in 15 minutes.
She decided to break off her studies for a semester to focus on personal matters.
They had to break off their conversation when an urgent matter required their attention.
15. Break off (To become separate (from something)):
The iceberg broke off from the larger ice shelf, drifting into the open ocean.
She accidentally broke off a piece of the cookie while taking a bite.
They saw a branch break off from the tree during the strong windstorm.
16. Break into (Enter illegally or by force, especially to commit a crime):
The burglars managed to break into the jewelry store and steal valuable items.
She reported a suspicious individual trying to break into her neighbor's house.
They increased security measures to prevent unauthorized individuals from breaking into the building.
17. Break into (Open or begin to use):
He couldn't wait to break into the new video game and start playing.
She finally broke into the field of professional photography after years of hard work.
They encouraged her to break into the music industry with her exceptional talent.
18. Break into (Successfully enter a profession or business):
He managed to break into the competitive world of acting and landed his first role.
She aspired to break into the fashion industry and establish her own clothing line.
They celebrated their friend's achievement as she broke into the tech startup scene with her innovative idea.
19. Break into (Begin suddenly):
Laughter broke into the room as they shared funny stories.
She couldn't help but break into a smile when she saw her surprise birthday party.
They cheered as the sun broke into the clouds, illuminating the landscape.
20. Break out (Escape, especially forcefully or defiantly):
The prisoners managed to break out of the heavily guarded prison.
She saw a protest breaking out in the streets, with people demanding justice.
They organized a daring plan to break out their friend from the oppressive regime.
21. Break out (Begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition):
A rash broke out on her skin after an allergic reaction.
She felt her creativity breaking out as new ideas flowed effortlessly.
They noticed a smile breaking out on his face as he received good news.
22. Break through (To break a way through (something solid)):
They used a battering ram to break through the door and gain entry.
She managed to break through the crowd and reach the front of the stage.
He persevered and eventually broke through the obstacles that stood in his path.
23. Break through (To make new and important discoveries):
The scientist's research broke through existing theories, revolutionizing the field.
She worked tirelessly to break through the barriers and achieve groundbreaking results.
They celebrated the team's breakthrough as they broke through the limitations of conventional thinking.
24. Break up (Break or separate into pieces; to disintegrate or come apart):
The vase accidentally broke up when it fell off the shelf.
They watched the iceberg breaking up into smaller chunks as it drifted in the ocean.
She used a hammer to break up the concrete into smaller fragments.
25. Break up (End a relationship):
They mutually agreed to break up after realizing their differences were irreconcilable.
She felt heartbroken after the break-up with her long-term partner.
He struggled to move on after the break-up and needed time to heal.
26. Break up (Dissolve; to part):
The meeting broke up after hours of intense discussion and debate.
She witnessed the crowd breaking up into smaller groups as they dispersed.
They decided to break up the project into smaller tasks for better coordination.
27. Break up (Break or separate into pieces):
The storm caused the waves to break up against the rocky shore.
She used her hands to break up the clumps of soil in the garden.
They needed to break up the ice blocks into smaller chunks for easier storage.
28. Break up (Stop a fight
Break up: Interrupt or discontinue a fight or argument; to separate people who are fighting):
They stepped in to break up the fight and restore order.
She called security to break up the altercation between two customers.
They pleaded with the siblings to break up their heated argument and find a peaceful resolution.