break
A1Neutral (used across all registers from informal to formal)
Definition
Meaning
to separate something into pieces, to damage or destroy its physical integrity; to interrupt an activity or state.
To fail to obey a rule or law; to surpass a record; to change the continuity of something; to reveal news; to make a sudden, forceful movement (as in 'break into a run'); to decipher a code; to destroy someone emotionally or financially.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's semantics centre on the concepts of separation, interruption, and violation. It is highly polysemous, with meanings extending from the physical ('break a glass') to the abstract ('break a promise'), social ('break the news'), and temporal ('take a break').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor differences in collocational preference (e.g., 'breaktime' is more common in UK schools, 'recess' in US). In finance, 'breakeven' is typically one word in AmE, often hyphenated in BrE.
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Break' as a noun for a holiday is slightly more informal in AmE (AmE might prefer 'vacation' for a longer period).
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SVO (He broke the window)SV (The glass broke)SVO+A (She broke the chocolate into pieces)SV+from N (He broke from tradition)SV+with N (They broke with the past)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “break the bank”
- “break even”
- “break the ice”
- “break a leg”
- “break new ground”
- “break rank(s)”
- “break someone's heart”
- “break the mould”
- “give me a break!”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To cease negotiations ('talks broke down'); to become bankrupt ('the company broke'); to start even ('break even').
Academic
To analyse components ('break down a theory'); to interrupt for a pause ('a coffee break'); in statistics ('breakpoint').
Everyday
Physical damage ('break a plate'); stopping an activity ('let's take a break'); weather change ('the clouds broke').
Technical
In computing: to stop program execution ('breakpoint'); in physics: to exceed a limit ('breakdown voltage'); in sports: a pause in play.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- Let's have a tea break at half past.
- It was a clean break from his former life.
- The lucky break he needed came unexpectedly.
American English
- We get a 15-minute break every four hours.
- A break in the clouds revealed the sun.
- He got his big break in Hollywood.
verb
British English
- Be careful not to break that heirloom vase.
- The ceasefire broke at dawn.
- He decided to break with his family's political traditions.
American English
- Don't break the rules or you'll be penalized.
- The story broke on all the major networks.
- She worked hard to break her smoking habit.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The egg will break if you drop it.
- We have a break at 11 o'clock.
- I never break my promises.
- The news of his resignation broke yesterday.
- They had to break the door down to rescue the cat.
- After hours of talks, the negotiations broke down.
- The scandal broke just before the election, damaging his campaign.
- Her voice broke with emotion as she delivered the eulogy.
- The new research breaks fresh ground in cancer treatment.
- The defendant's alibi was broken by the prosecution's relentless cross-examination.
- A single misstep could break the fragile coalition government.
- The encryption code was finally broken after years of effort.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a breakfast plate that you DROP – it BREAKS with a loud sound (the 'a' in 'break' sounds like the 'a' in 'plate').
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTINUITY IS A SOLID OBJECT (interrupting an activity is breaking it); RULES ARE BARRIERS (disobeying is breaking through); REVELATION IS BREAKING OPEN (breaking the news).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing 'break' with 'brake' (тормоз).
- Using 'break' for 'rest' only in the noun form ('to have a break'), not as a verb.
- Overusing physical 'break' when Russian would use a more specific verb like 'сломать' (for machines) or 'разбить' (for glass).
- Mistaking 'break up' (end a relationship) for 'quarrel' (поссориться).
Common Mistakes
- *He broke his arm on the football. (Correct: ...while playing football.)
- *I need to make a break. (Correct: I need to take/have a break.)
- Spelling confusion: 'break' vs. 'brake'.
- Using the wrong past participle: *I have broke it. (Correct: I have broken it.)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'break' mean 'to surpass or do better than'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The correct past tense is 'broke' (e.g., I broke the glass). 'Breaked' is incorrect.
'Break' is used for hard, brittle objects (glass, bone). 'Tear' is used for flexible, thin materials like paper, fabric, or skin.
Yes, as a noun. For example: 'Getting that audition was her big break in the film industry.'
'Break up' typically means to end a relationship or disperse a gathering. 'Break down' means to stop functioning (machine) or to lose emotional control (person), or to analyse something into parts.