dictionary | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
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Sounds | brey'k |
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Rhymes | ache, awake, backache, and 56 more rhymes in eyk at the HyperDic website... |
Meaning | Some abrupt occurrence that interrupts. |
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Examples | "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt" |
Synonyms | interruption |
Narrower | dislocation, disruption; punctuation; suspension, respite, reprieve, hiatus, abatement; eclipse, occultation |
Broader | happening, occurrence, natural event |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | An unexpected piece of good luck. |
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Examples | "he finally got his big break" |
Synonyms | good luck, happy chance |
Broader | accident, fortuity, chance event |
Meaning | (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. |
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Synonyms | fault, geological fault, shift, fracture |
Category | geology |
Parts | fault line |
Narrower | Denali Fault; inclined fault; San Andreas Fault; strike-slip fault |
Broader | crack, cleft, crevice, fissure, scissure |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | A personal or social separation (as between opposing factions). |
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Examples | "they hoped to avoid a break in relations" |
Synonyms | rupture, breach, severance, rift, falling out |
Broader | separation, breakup, detachment |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | A pause from doing something (as work). |
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Examples | "we took a 10-minute break" |
Synonyms | respite, recess, time out |
Narrower | spring break |
Broader | pause |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | The act of breaking something. |
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Examples | "the breakage was unavoidable" |
Synonyms | breakage, breaking |
Narrower | rupture; smashing, shattering; fracture, crack, cracking; chip, chipping, splintering |
Broader | change of integrity |
Verbs | break; break |
Meaning | A time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something. |
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Synonyms | pause, intermission, interruption, suspension |
Narrower | lapse; blackout; caesura; dead air; delay, hold, time lag, postponement, wait; halftime; respite, rest, relief, rest period; time-out; letup, lull |
Broader | time interval, interval |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | Breaking of hard tissue such as bone. |
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Examples | "the break seems to have been caused by a fall" |
Synonyms | fracture |
Narrower | comminuted fracture; complete fracture; compound fracture, open fracture; compression fracture; depressed fracture; displaced fracture; fatigue fracture, stress fracture; hairline fracture, capillary fracture; incomplete fracture; impacted fracture; simple fracture, closed fracture |
Broader | injury, hurt, harm, trauma |
Verbs | break; break |
Meaning | The occurrence of breaking. |
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Examples | "the break in the dam threatened the valley" |
Narrower | snap |
Broader | separation, breakup, detachment |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | The opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool. |
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Part of | billiards; pool, pocket billiards |
Broader | stroke, shot |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving. |
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Examples | "he was up two breaks in the second set" |
Synonyms | break of serve |
Category | tennis, lawn tennis |
Broader | score |
Meaning | An act of delaying or interrupting the continuity. |
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Examples | "it was presented without commercial breaks" |
Synonyms | interruption, disruption, gap |
Narrower | cut-in, insert; cut-in, insert; interjection, interposition, interpolation, interpellation; breaking off, abruption; heckling, barracking |
Broader | delay, holdup |
Meaning | A sudden dash. |
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Examples | "he made a break for the open door" |
Narrower | fast break |
Broader | dash, sprint |
Meaning | Any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare. |
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Examples | "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match" |
Synonyms | open frame |
Broader | score |
Meaning | An escape from jail. |
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Examples | "the breakout was carefully planned" |
Synonyms | breakout, jailbreak, gaolbreak, prisonbreak, prison-breaking |
Broader | escape, flight |
Verbs | break |
Meaning | Terminate. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty" |
Synonyms | interrupt |
Narrower | hold on, stop; cut short, break short, break off; freeze, suspend |
Broader | end, terminate |
Meaning | Become separated into pieces or fragments. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Model | The wooden sticks break; These glasses break easily |
Synonyms | separate, split up, fall apart, come apart |
Narrower | burst, split, break open; puncture; burst, bust; smash; ladder, run; snap, crack; break up, fragment, fragmentize, fragmentise; crush |
Broader | change integrity |
Similar to | break |
See also | break up |
Nouns | break; break; break |
Meaning | Destroy the integrity of. Usually by force. Cause to separate into pieces or fragments. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Model | The girls break the wooden sticks |
Narrower | shatter; fracture; break in; smash, dash |
Broader | separate, divide |
Similar to | break, separate, split up, fall apart, come apart |
Nouns | breakage, break; breaker |
Meaning | Render inoperable or ineffective. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Broader | damage |
Similar to | fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break, break down |
Nouns | breakage |
Meaning | Ruin completely. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Synonyms | bust |
Cause to | break, wear, wear out, bust, fall apart |
Narrower | break down |
Broader | destroy, ruin |
Contrary | repair, mend, fix, bushel, doctor, furbish up, restore, touch on |
Similar to | break, wear, wear out, bust, fall apart |
See also | break off; break up, break apart; break up; break down |
Nouns | breakage |
Meaning | Act in disregard of laws and rules. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "break a law" |
Synonyms | transgress, offend, infract, violate, go against, breach |
Narrower | sin, transgress, trespass; sin, blunder, boob, goof; conflict, run afoul, infringe, contravene; trespass; trespass, intrude |
Broader | disrespect |
Meaning | Move away or escape suddenly. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s; Something is ----ing PP; Somebody ----s PP |
Examples | "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security" |
Synonyms | break out, break away |
Broader | escape, get away, break loose |
Similar to | break |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Scatter or part. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out |
Meaning | Force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s PP |
Examples | "break into tears" |
Synonyms | burst, erupt |
Broader | express emotion, express feelings |
Meaning | Prevent completion. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "break off the negociations" |
Synonyms | break off, discontinue, stop |
Narrower | fracture; bog down, bog; interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off |
Broader | end, terminate |
Meaning | Enter someone's property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s PP; Somebody ----s something |
Synonyms | break in |
Entailed by | burglarize, burglarise, burgle, heist |
Broader | trespass, intrude |
Meaning | Make submissive, obedient, or useful. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody |
Examples | "The horse was tough to break" |
Synonyms | break in |
Cause to | break |
Broader | domesticate, domesticize, domesticise, reclaim, tame |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Fail to agree with. Be in violation of. As of rules or patterns. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Synonyms | violate, go against |
Narrower | fly in the face of, fly in the teeth of |
Contrary | conform to |
Meaning | Surpass in excellence. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "break a record" |
Synonyms | better |
Broader | surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed, outdo, surmount, outperform |
Meaning | Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something; Somebody ----s something to somebody; Somebody ----s that CLAUSE |
Synonyms | disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, impart, give away, let out |
Cause to | break, get out, get around |
Entailed by | sell out |
Narrower | blackwash; muckrake; blow; out; come out of the closet, out, come out; spring; betray, bewray; confide; leak; spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, talk, tattle, blab, peach, babble, sing, babble out, blab out; reveal |
Broader | tell |
Similar to | break, get out, get around |
Meaning | Come into being. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | become, go, get |
Meaning | Stop operating or functioning. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Model | These cars won't break |
Synonyms | fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break down |
Narrower | crash, go down; blow out, burn out, blow; misfire; malfunction, misfunction |
Broader | change |
Similar to | break; die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass |
Meaning | Interrupt a continued activity. |
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Pattern | Something is ----ing PP; Somebody ----s PP |
Synonyms | break away |
Broader | separate, part, split up, split, break, break up |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing. |
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Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s |
Category | military, armed forces, armed services, military machine, war machine |
Broader | flee, fly, take flight |
Similar to | break, break out, break away |
Meaning | Curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, break, founder |
Participle | breaking |
Nouns | breaker |
Meaning | Lessen in force or effect. |
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Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "break a fall" |
Synonyms | dampen, damp, soften, weaken |
Narrower | deafen; dampen, deaden, damp |
Broader | deaden, blunt |
Meaning | Be broken in. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s |
Examples | "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress" |
Caused by | break in, break |
Broader | change |
Similar to | break in, break |
Meaning | Come to an end. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | end, stop, finish, terminate, cease |
Meaning | Vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity. |
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Pattern | Something ----s something |
Broader | change, alter, vary |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Cause to give up a habit. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody |
Cause to | break |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Give up. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "break cigarette smoking" |
Caused by | break |
Broader | discontinue, stop, cease, give up, quit, lay off |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Come forth or begin from a state of latency. |
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Pattern | Something is ----ing PP |
Broader | come forth, emerge |
Meaning | Happen or take place. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Examples | "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months" |
Broader | happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place |
Usage | colloquialism |
Meaning | Cause the failure or ruin of. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "This play will either make or break the playwright" |
Broader | ruin |
Contrary | make |
Meaning | Invalidate by judicial action. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Broader | invalidate, annul, quash, void, avoid, nullify |
Meaning | Discontinue an association or relation. Go different ways. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s |
Synonyms | separate, part, split up, split, break up |
Narrower | give the axe, give the bounce, give the gate; disunify, break apart; disassociate, dissociate, divorce, disunite, disjoint; break with; divorce, split up; secede, splinter, break away; break, break away |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Assign to a lower position. Reduce in rank. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody; Somebody ----s something PP |
Synonyms | demote, bump, relegate, kick downstairs |
Narrower | reduce |
Broader | delegate, designate, depute, assign |
Contrary | promote, upgrade, advance, kick upstairs, raise, elevate |
Meaning | Reduce to bankruptcy. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody; Something ----s somebody |
Examples | "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!" |
Synonyms | bankrupt, ruin, smash |
Broader | impoverish |
Meaning | Change directions suddenly. |
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Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s |
Broader | switch, shift, change |
Meaning | Emerge from the surface of a body of water. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | appear |
Meaning | Break down, literally or metaphorically. |
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Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s |
Synonyms | collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, founder |
Caused by | collapse, burst |
Narrower | implode, go off; buckle, crumple; flop; break; slump, slide down, sink |
Broader | change |
Similar to | abandon, give up; collapse, burst |
Meaning | Do a break dance. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s |
Model | Sam and Sue break |
Examples | "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner" |
Synonyms | break dance, break-dance |
Broader | dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe |
Meaning | Exchange for smaller units of money. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy" |
Broader | change, exchange, commute, convert |
Similar to | break, break up |
Meaning | Destroy the completeness of a set of related items. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "The book dealer would not break the set" |
Synonyms | break up |
Broader | change, alter, modify |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Make the opening shot that scatters the balls. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s |
Category | billiards |
Broader | shoot |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Separate from a clinch, in boxing. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody |
Broader | separate, disunite, divide, part |
Meaning | Go to pieces. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Synonyms | wear, wear out, bust, fall apart |
Caused by | break, bust |
Entailed by | leak |
Narrower | fray, frazzle |
Broader | decay, crumble, delapidate |
Similar to | break, bust |
See also | break up, break apart; break away, break off |
Meaning | Break a piece from a whole. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "break a branch from a tree" |
Synonyms | break off, snap off |
Broader | detach |
Nouns | breakage; breaker |
Meaning | Become punctured or penetrated. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Pierce or penetrate. |
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Pattern | Something ----s something |
Broader | penetrate, perforate |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Be released or become known. Of news. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Synonyms | get out, get around |
Caused by | disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, impart, break, give away, let out; leak |
Narrower | leak, leak out |
Similar to | disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, impart, break, give away, let out |
Meaning | Cease an action temporarily. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s |
Examples | "let's break for lunch" |
Synonyms | pause, intermit |
Narrower | rest, breathe, catch one's breath, take a breather; take five; take ten |
Broader | interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Interrupt the flow of current in. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "break a circuit" |
Broader | interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off |
Nouns | breaker |
Meaning | Undergo breaking. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | diphthongize, diphthongise |
Meaning | Find a flaw in. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
Examples | "break an alibi"; "break down a proof" |
Broader | destroy, ruin |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Find the solution or key to. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Examples | "break the code" |
Broader | solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, lick, work |
Similar to | break |
Meaning | Change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | switch, shift, change |
Meaning | Happen. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Synonyms | recrudesce, develop |
Broader | happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place |
Similar to | develop |
See also | break through; break out |
Meaning | Become fractured. Break or crack on the surface only. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Synonyms | crack, check |
Narrower | crack |
Broader | change |
Similar to | check, chink; crack |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Of the male voice in puberty. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Examples | "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir" |
Broader | change state, turn |
Meaning | Fall sharply. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Model | The stock market is going to break |
Broader | decrease, diminish, lessen, fall |
Meaning | Fracture a bone of. |
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Pattern | Somebody ----s something |
Model | Did he break his foot? |
Synonyms | fracture |
Broader | injure, wound |
Similar to | fracture |
Nouns | break |
Meaning | Diminish or discontinue abruptly. |
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Pattern | Something ----s |
Broader | decrease, diminish, lessen, fall |
Meaning | Weaken or destroy in spirit or body. |
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Pattern | Something ----s somebody |
Broader | weaken |