· some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity; "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"

Synonym(s): interruption

Hypernym(s): happening, occurrence, occurrent, natural_event

· an unexpected piece of good luck; "he finally got his big break"

Synonym(s): good_luck, happy_chance

Hypernym(s): accident, stroke, fortuity, chance_event

· (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"; "he studied the faulting of the earth's crust"

Synonym(s): fault, faulting, geological_fault, shift, fracture

Hypernym(s): crack, cleft, crevice, fissure, scissure

· a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions); "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"

Synonym(s): rupture, breach, severance, rift, falling_out

Hypernym(s): separation, breakup, detachment

· a pause from doing something (as work); "we took a 10-minute break"; "he took time out to recuperate"

Synonym(s): respite, recess, time_out

Hypernym(s): pause

· the act of breaking something; "the breakage was unavoidable"

Synonym(s): breakage, breaking

Hypernym(s): change_of_integrity

· a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

Synonym(s): pause, intermission, interruption, suspension

Hypernym(s): time_interval, interval

· breaking of hard tissue such as bone; "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"

Synonym(s): fracture

Hypernym(s): injury, hurt, harm, trauma

· the occurrence of breaking; "the break in the dam threatened the valley"

Hypernym(s): separation, breakup, detachment

· an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion); "then there was a break in her voice"

Hypernym(s): change, alteration, modification

· the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool

Hypernym(s): stroke, shot

· (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving; "he was up two breaks in the second set"

Synonym(s): break_of_serve

Hypernym(s): score

· an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity; "it was presented without commercial breaks"; "there was a gap in his account"

Synonym(s): interruption, disruption, gap

Hypernym(s): delay, holdup

· a sudden dash; "he made a break for the open door"

Hypernym(s): dash, sprint

· any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare; "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"

Synonym(s): open_frame

Hypernym(s): score

· an escape from jail; "the breakout was carefully planned"

Synonym(s): breakout, jailbreak, gaolbreak, prisonbreak, prison-breaking

Hypernym(s): escape, flight

· terminate; "She interrupted her pregnancy"; "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty"

Synonym(s): interrupt

Hypernym(s): end, terminate

· become separated into pieces or fragments; "The figurine broke"; "The freshly baked loaf fell apart"

Synonym(s): separate, split_up, fall_apart, come_apart

Hypernym(s): change_integrity

· render inoperable or ineffective; "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"

Hypernym(s): damage

· ruin completely; "He busted my radio!"

Synonym(s): bust

Hypernym(s): destroy, ruin

Antonym(s): repair

· destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments; "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match"

Hypernym(s): separate, divide

· act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise"

Synonym(s): transgress, offend, infract, violate, go_against, breach

Hypernym(s): disrespect

Antonym(s): keep

· move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"

Synonym(s): break_out, break_away

Hypernym(s): escape, get_away, break_loose

· scatter or part; "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour"

Hypernym(s): disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread_out

· force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up; "break into tears"; "erupt in anger"

Synonym(s): burst, erupt

Hypernym(s): express_emotion, express_feelings

· prevent completion; "stop the project"; "break off the negotiations"

Synonym(s): break_off, discontinue, stop

Hypernym(s): end, terminate

· enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act; "Someone broke in while I was on vacation"; "They broke into my car and stole my radio!"; "who broke into my account last night?"

Synonym(s): break_in

Hypernym(s): trespass, intrude

· make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern"

Synonym(s): break_in

Hypernym(s): domesticate, domesticize, domesticise, reclaim, tame

· fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; "This sentence violates the rules of syntax"

Synonym(s): violate, go_against

· surpass in excellence; "She bettered her own record"; "break a record"

Synonym(s): better

Hypernym(s): surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed, outdo, surmount, outperform

· make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"; "The newspaper uncovered the President's illegal dealings"

Synonym(s): unwrap, disclose, let_on, bring_out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, give_away, let_out, uncover

Hypernym(s): tell

· come into being; "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air"

Hypernym(s): become, go, get

· stop operating or functioning; "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"

Synonym(s): fail, go_bad, give_way, die, give_out, conk_out, go, break_down

Hypernym(s): change

· interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns"

Synonym(s): break_away

Hypernym(s): separate, part, split_up, split, break, break_up

· make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing; "The ranks broke"

Hypernym(s): flee, fly, take_flight

· curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves; "The surf broke"

Hypernym(s): collapse, fall_in, cave_in, give, give_way, break, founder

· lessen in force or effect; "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

Synonym(s): dampen, damp, soften, weaken

Hypernym(s): deaden, blunt

· be broken in; "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress"

Hypernym(s): change

· come to an end; "The heat wave finally broke yesterday"

Hypernym(s): end, stop, finish, terminate, cease

· vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity; "The flat plain was broken by tall mesas"

Hypernym(s): change, alter, vary

· cause to give up a habit; "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes"

· give up; "break cigarette smoking"

Hypernym(s): discontinue, stop, cease, give_up, quit, lay_off

· come forth or begin from a state of latency; "The first winter storm broke over New York"

Hypernym(s): come_forth, emerge

· happen or take place; "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months"

Hypernym(s): happen, hap, go_on, pass_off, occur, pass, fall_out, come_about, take_place

· cause the failure or ruin of; "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"; "This play will either make or break the playwright"

Hypernym(s): ruin

Antonym(s): make

· invalidate by judicial action; "The will was broken"

Hypernym(s): invalidate, annul, quash, void, avoid, nullify

· discontinue an association or relation; go different ways; "The business partners broke over a tax question"; "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage"; "My friend and I split up"

Synonym(s): separate, part, split_up, split, break_up

· assign to a lower position; reduce in rank; "She was demoted because she always speaks up"; "He was broken down to Sergeant"

Synonym(s): demote, bump, relegate, kick_downstairs

Hypernym(s): delegate, designate, depute, assign

· reduce to bankruptcy; "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!"; "The slump in the financial markets smashed him"

Synonym(s): bankrupt, ruin, smash

Hypernym(s): impoverish

· change directions suddenly

Hypernym(s): switch, shift, change

· emerge from the surface of a body of water; "The whales broke"

Hypernym(s): appear

· break down, literally or metaphorically; "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"

Synonym(s): collapse, fall_in, cave_in, give, give_way, founder

Hypernym(s): change

· do a break dance; "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner"

Synonym(s): break_dance, break-dance

Hypernym(s): dance, trip_the_light_fantastic, trip_the_light_fantastic_toe

· exchange for smaller units of money; "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy"

Hypernym(s): change, exchange, commute, convert

· destroy the completeness of a set of related items; "The book dealer would not break the set"

Synonym(s): break_up

Hypernym(s): change, alter, modify

· make the opening shot that scatters the balls

Hypernym(s): shoot

· separate from a clinch, in boxing; "The referee broke the boxers"

Hypernym(s): separate, disunite, divide, part

· go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"

Synonym(s): wear, wear_out, bust, fall_apart

Hypernym(s): decay, crumble, dilapidate

· break a piece from a whole; "break a branch from a tree"

Synonym(s): break_off, snap_off

Hypernym(s): detach

· become punctured or penetrated; "The skin broke"

· pierce or penetrate; "The blade broke her skin"

Hypernym(s): penetrate, perforate

· be released or become known; of news; "News of her death broke in the morning"

Synonym(s): get_out, get_around

· cease an action temporarily; "We pause for station identification"; "let's break for lunch"

Synonym(s): pause, intermit

Hypernym(s): interrupt, disrupt, break_up, cut_off

· interrupt the flow of current in; "break a circuit"

Hypernym(s): interrupt, disrupt, break_up, cut_off

· undergo breaking; "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages"

Hypernym(s): diphthongize, diphthongise

· find a flaw in; "break an alibi"; "break down a proof"

Hypernym(s): destroy, ruin

· find the solution or key to; "break the code"

Hypernym(s): solve, work_out, figure_out, puzzle_out, lick, work

· change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another; "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"

Hypernym(s): switch, shift, change

· happen; "Report the news as it develops"; "These political movements recrudesce from time to time"

Synonym(s): recrudesce, develop

Hypernym(s): happen, hap, go_on, pass_off, occur, pass, fall_out, come_about, take_place

· become fractured; break or crack on the surface only; "The glass cracked when it was heated"

Synonym(s): crack, check

Hypernym(s): change

· crack; of the male voice in puberty; "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"

Hypernym(s): change_state, turn

· fall sharply; "stock prices broke"

Hypernym(s): decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

· fracture a bone of; "I broke my foot while playing hockey"

Synonym(s): fracture

Hypernym(s): injure, wound

· diminish or discontinue abruptly; "The patient's fever broke last night"

Hypernym(s): decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

· weaken or destroy in spirit or body; "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"

Hypernym(s): weaken