| Sounds | brey'k | |
|---|---|---|
| Rhymes | ache ... wake / Wake: 58 rhymes with eyk... | |
| Meaning | Some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt" | |
| Synonym | interruption | |
| Narrower | dislocation, disruption | An event that results in a displacement or discontinuity |
| eclipse, occultation | One celestial body obscures another | |
| punctuation | Something that makes repeated and regular interruptions or divisions | |
| suspension, respite, reprieve, hiatus, abatement | An interruption in the intensity or amount of something | |
| Broader | happening, occurrence, occurrent, natural event | An event that happens |
| Spanish | interrupción, paréntesis, pausa, receso | |
| Catalan | interrupció, parèntesi, pausa | |
| Verbs | break | vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity |
| Meaning | An unexpected piece of good luck. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "he finally got his big break" | |
| Synonyms | good luck, happy chance | |
| Broader | accident, stroke, fortuity, chance event | Anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause |
| Spanish | oportunidad | |
| Catalan | oportunitat | |
| Meaning | (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. | |
|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | fault, faulting, geological fault, shift, fracture | |
| Category | geology | A science that deals with the history of the earth as recorded in rocks / rocks |
| Instances | Denali Fault | A major open geological fault in Alaska |
| San Andreas Fault | A major geological fault in California | |
| Parts | fault line | (geology) line determined by the intersection of a geological fault and the earth's surface |
| Narrower | inclined fault | A geological fault in which one side is above the other |
| strike-slip fault | A geological fault in which one of the adjacent surfaces appears to have moved horizontally | |
| Broader | crack, cleft, crevice, fissure, scissure | A long narrow opening |
| Spanish | falla, fisura, fractura | |
| Catalan | falla, fractura | |
| Verbs | break | become separated / separated into pieces or fragments |
| Meaning | A personal or social separation (as between opposing factions). | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "they hoped to avoid a break in relations" | |
| Synonyms | rupture, breach, severance, rift, falling out | |
| Narrower | schism | The formal separation / separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences |
| Broader | separation, breakup, detachment | coming apart |
| Spanish | ruptura | |
| Catalan | ruptura, trencament | |
| Verbs | break | discontinue an association / association / association or relation |
| Meaning | A pause from doing something (as work). | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "we took a 10-minute break" | |
| Synonyms | respite, recess, time out | |
| Narrower | spring break | A week or more of recess during the spring term at school |
| Broader | pause | temporary inactivity |
| Spanish | descanso, pausa, receso, recreo, respiro | |
| Catalan | descans, parada, pausa | |
| Verbs | break | cease an action temporarily |
| Meaning | The act of breaking something. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "the breakage was unavoidable" | |
| Synonyms | breakage, breaking | |
| Narrower | chip, chipping, splintering | The act of chipping something |
| fracture, crack, cracking | The act of cracking something | |
| rupture | The act of making a sudden noisy break | |
| smashing, shattering | The act of breaking something into small pieces | |
| Broader | change of integrity | The act of changing the unity or wholeness of something |
| Spanish | fractura, quebrantamiento, quiebra, ruptura | |
| Catalan | fraccionament, ruptura, trencadura, trencament, trenc | |
| Verbs | break | become separated / separated into pieces or fragments |
| break | destroy the integrity of | |
| Meaning | A time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something. | |
|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | pause, intermission, interruption, suspension | |
| Narrower | blackout | A suspension of radio or tv broadcasting |
| caesura | A pause or interruption (as in a conversation) | |
| dead air | An inadvertent interruption in a broadcast / broadcast during which there is no sound | |
| delay, hold, time lag, postponement, wait | Time during which some action is awaited | |
| halftime | An intermission between the first and second half of a game / game | |
| lapse | A break or intermission in the occurrence of something | |
| letup, lull | A pause during which things are calm or activities are diminished | |
| respite, rest, relief, rest period | A pause for relaxation | |
| time-out | A brief suspension of play | |
| Broader | time interval, interval | A definite length of time marked off by two instants |
| Spanish | interrupción, pausa, suspensión | |
| Catalan | interrupció, pausa, suspensió | |
| Verbs | break | interrupt a continued activity |
| Meaning | The occurrence of breaking. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "the break in the dam threatened the valley" | |
| Narrower | snap | A sudden breaking / breaking |
| Broader | separation, breakup, detachment | coming apart |
| Spanish | grieta, trizadura | |
| Verbs | break | become separated / separated into pieces or fragments |
| Meaning | An abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion). | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "then there was a break in her voice" | |
| Broader | change, alteration, modification | An event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another |
| Meaning | The opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool. | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of | billiards | Any of several games / games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls |
| pool, pocket billiards | Any of various games / games played on a pool table having 6 pockets | |
| Broader | stroke, shot | (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand |
| Verbs | break | make the opening shot that scatters the balls |
| Meaning | (tennis) a score consisting of winning a game / game when your opponent was serving. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "he was up two breaks in the second set" | |
| Synonym | break of serve | |
| Category | tennis, lawn tennis | A game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court |
| Broader | score | The act of scoring in a game / game / game or sport |
| Spanish | break | |
| Catalan | trencament de servei | |
| Meaning | An act of delaying or interrupting the continuity. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "it was presented without commercial breaks" | |
| Synonyms | interruption, disruption, gap | |
| Narrower | breaking off, abruption | An instance of sudden interruption |
| cut-in, insert | (film) a still picture that is introduced and that interrupts the action of a film | |
| cut-in, insert | (broadcasting) a local announcement inserted into a network program | |
| heckling, barracking | shouting to interrupt a speech with which you disagree | |
| interjection, interposition, interpolation, interpellation | The action of interjecting or interposing an action or remark that interrupts | |
| Broader | delay, holdup | The act of delaying |
| Spanish | interrupción, paréntesis, pausa | |
| Catalan | interrupció, interval, parèntesi, pausa | |
| Meaning | A sudden dash. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "he made a break for the open door" | |
| Narrower | fast break | (basketball) a rapid dash to get a shot as soon as possible after taking possession of the ball |
| Broader | dash, sprint | A quick run |
| Spanish | fuga | |
| Meaning | Any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match" | |
| Synonym | open frame | |
| Broader | score | The act of scoring in a game / game / game or sport |
| Spanish | cuadro abierto, fallo | |
| Meaning | An escape from jail. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "the breakout was carefully planned" | |
| Synonyms | breakout, jailbreak, gaolbreak, prisonbreak, prison-breaking | |
| Broader | escape, flight | The act of escaping physically |
| Spanish | evasión, fuga, gaolbreak, huida, prisonbreak | |
| Catalan | evasió, fuga, fugida, gaolbreak, prisonbreak | |
| Verbs | break | move away or escape suddenly |
| Meaning | terminate. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Examples |
| |
| Synonym | interrupt | |
| Narrower | cut short, break short, break off | interrupt before its natural or planned end / end |
| freeze, suspend | stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it | |
| hold on, stop | stop / stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments | |
| Broader | end, terminate | Bring to an end or halt |
| Spanish | interrumpir, romper | |
| Catalan | interrompre | |
| Meaning | Become separated / separated into pieces or fragments. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Model | The wooden sticks break; These glasses break easily | |
| Synonyms | separate, split up, fall apart, come apart | |
| Narrower | break up, fragment, fragmentize, fragmentise | break or cause to break into pieces |
| burst, split, break open | Come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure | |
| burst, bust | break open or apart suddenly and forcefully | |
| crush | Become injured, broken, or distorted by pressure | |
| ladder, run | Come unraveled or undone as if by snagging | |
| puncture | Be pierced or punctured | |
| smash | break suddenly into pieces, as from a violent blow | |
| snap, crack | Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension | |
| Broader | change integrity | change in physical make-up |
| See also | break up | separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts |
| fall | Pass suddenly and passively into a state of body or mind | |
| Similar to | break | Destroy the integrity of |
| Spanish | partirse, romperse | |
| Catalan | partir-se, partir, trencar-se, trencar | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Nouns | break | the act of breaking something |
| break | the occurrence of breaking | |
| break | (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other | |
| Meaning | Render inoperable or ineffective. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Broader | damage | inflict damage / damage upon |
| Similar to | fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break, break down | stop operating or functioning |
| Nouns | breakage | the act of breaking something |
| Meaning | ruin completely. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Synonym | bust | |
| Cause to | break, wear, wear out, bust, fall apart | go to pieces |
| Narrower | break down | Cause to fall or collapse |
| Broader | destroy, ruin | Destroy completely |
| See also | break down | make a mathematical, chemical, or grammatical analysis of |
| break off | break a small piece off from | |
| break up | set or keep apart | |
| break up, break apart | take apart into its constituent pieces | |
| Opposite | repair, mend, fix, bushel, doctor, furbish up, restore, touch on | restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn / torn or broken |
| Similar to | break, wear, wear out, bust, fall apart | go to pieces |
| Spanish | estropearse, romperse, romper | |
| Catalan | espatllar-se, trencar-se, trencar | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Nouns | breakage | the act of breaking something |
| Meaning | Destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Model | The girls break the wooden sticks | |
| Narrower | break in | break so as to fall inward |
| fracture | break into pieces | |
| shatter | Cause to break into many pieces | |
| smash, dash | break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over | |
| Broader | separate, divide | make a division or separation |
| Similar to | break, separate, split up, fall apart, come apart | Become separated / separated into pieces or fragments |
| Spanish | fracturar, partir, quebrantar, quebrar, rajar, romper | |
| Catalan | partir, rompre, trencar | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Nouns | breakage, break | the act of breaking something |
| breaker | a quarry worker who splits off blocks of stone | |
| Meaning | Act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Examples |
| |
| Synonyms | transgress, offend, infract, violate, go against, breach | |
| Narrower | conflict, run afoul, infringe, contravene | go against, as of rules and laws |
| drop the ball, sin, blunder, boob, goof | Commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake | |
| sin, transgress, trespass | commit a sin | |
| trespass | break the law | |
| trespass, intrude | Enter unlawfully on someone's property | |
| Broader | disrespect | show a lack of respect for |
| Opposite | observe, keep | conform one's action or practice to |
| Spanish | insultar, ofender, transgredir, violar, vulnerar | |
| Catalan | insultar, transgredir, vulnerar | |
| Meaning | Move away or escape suddenly. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security" | |
| Synonyms | break out, break away | |
| Broader | escape, get away, break loose | run away from confinement |
| Similar to | break | make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing |
| Nouns | break | an escape from jail |
| Meaning | scatter or part. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | disperse, dissipate, scatter, spread out | Move away from each other |
| Spanish | deshacerse | |
| Meaning | Force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s PP | |
| Example | "break into tears" | |
| Synonyms | burst, erupt | |
| Broader | express emotion, express feelings | Give verbal / verbal / verbal or other expression to one's feelings |
| Spanish | romper | |
| Meaning | prevent completion. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Example | "break off the negotiations" | |
| Synonyms | break off, discontinue, stop | |
| Narrower | bog down, bog | get stuck while doing something |
| fracture | Become fractured / fractured | |
| interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off | make a break / break in | |
| Broader | end, terminate | Bring to an end or halt |
| Spanish | abandonar, discontinuar, interrumpir, parar, romper, suspender | |
| Catalan | interrompre, parar, suspendre | |
| Meaning | Enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s PP | |
| Synonym | break in | |
| Entailed by | burglarize, burglarise, burgle, heist | commit a burglary |
| Narrower | crack | Gain unauthorized access computers with malicious intentions |
| Broader | trespass, intrude | Enter unlawfully on someone's property |
| Spanish | allanar | |
| Meaning | make submissive, obedient, or useful. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Somebody ----s somebody | |
| Example | "The horse was tough to break" | |
| Synonym | break in | |
| Cause to | break | Be broken in |
| Broader | domesticate, domesticize, domesticise, reclaim, tame | Overcome the wildness of |
| Similar to | break | Be broken in |
| Spanish | controlar, domar, domesticar, entrenar | |
| Catalan | controlar | |
| Meaning | fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Synonyms | violate, go against | |
| Narrower | fly in the face of, fly in the teeth of | go against |
| Opposite | conform to | observe |
| Spanish | quebrantar, romper, violar, vulnerar | |
| Catalan | trencar, violar, vulnerar | |
| Meaning | Surpass in excellence. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "break a record" | |
| Synonym | better | |
| Broader | surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed, outdo, surmount, outperform | Be or do something to a greater degree |
| Spanish | mejorar, perfeccionar, superar | |
| Meaning | come into being. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | become, go, get | Enter or assume a certain state or condition |
| Spanish | romper | |
| Meaning | stop operating or functioning. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Model | These cars won't break | |
| Synonyms | fail, go bad, give way, die, give out, conk out, go, break down | |
| Narrower | blow out, burn out, blow | melt, break, or become otherwise unusable |
| crash, go down | stop operating | |
| malfunction, misfunction | fail to function or function improperly | |
| misfire | fail to fire or detonate | |
| Broader | change | Undergo a change |
| Similar to | break | Render inoperable or ineffective |
| die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, drop dead, pop off, choke, croak, snuff it | Pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain / sustain life | |
| Spanish | averiarse, estropearse, fallar, morir, pararse, perecer, romper | |
| Catalan | avariar-se, espatllar-se, fallar, parar-se | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Meaning | interrupt a continued activity. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something is ----ing PP; Somebody ----s PP | |
| Synonym | break away | |
| Broader | separate, part, split up, split, break, break up | discontinue an association / association / association or relation |
| Spanish | abandonar, romper con | |
| Catalan | abandonar, rompre, tallar, trencar | |
| Nouns | break | a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something |
| Meaning | make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s | |
| Category | military, armed forces, armed services, military machine, war machine | The military forces of a nation |
| Broader | flee, fly, take flight | run away quickly |
| Similar to | break, break out, break away | Move away or escape suddenly |
| Meaning | curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, break, founder | break down, literally or metaphorically |
| Spanish | romper | |
| Nouns | breaker | waves breaking on the shore |
| Meaning | lessen in force or effect. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Example | "break a fall" | |
| Synonyms | dampen, damp, soften, weaken | |
| Narrower | dampen, deaden, damp | make vague or obscure or make (an image) less visible |
| deafen | make soundproof | |
| Broader | deaden, blunt | make less lively, intense, or vigorous |
| Spanish | atenuar | |
| Catalan | atenuar | |
| Meaning | Be broken in. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s | |
| Example | "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress" | |
| Caused by | break in, break | make submissive, obedient, or useful |
| Broader | change | Undergo a change |
| Similar to | break in, break | make submissive, obedient, or useful |
| Catalan | trencar | |
| Meaning | Come to an end. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | end, stop, finish, terminate, cease | Have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense |
| Meaning | Vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s something | |
| Broader | change, alter, vary | Become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics / characteristics or essence |
| Nouns | break | some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity |
| Meaning | Cause to give up a habit. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody | |
| Cause to | break | Give up |
| Similar to | break | Give up |
| Spanish | dejar | |
| Catalan | deixar | |
| Meaning | Give up. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "break cigarette smoking" | |
| Caused by | break | Cause to give up a habit |
| Broader | discontinue, stop, cease, give up, quit, lay off | put an end to a state or an activity |
| Similar to | break | Cause to give up a habit |
| Spanish | romper | |
| Meaning | come forth or begin from a state of latency. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something is ----ing PP | |
| Broader | come forth, emerge | happen / happen / happen or occur as a result of something |
| Meaning | happen or take place. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Example | "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 | Come to pass |
| Usage of | colloquialism | A colloquial expression |
| Spanish | salir | |
| Meaning | Cause the failure or ruin of. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Example | "This play will either make or break the playwright" | |
| Broader | ruin | Destroy or cause to fail |
| Opposite | make | assure the success of |
| Meaning | invalidate by judicial action. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Broader | invalidate, annul, quash, void, avoid, nullify | declare invalid / invalid |
| Meaning | discontinue an association / association / association or relation; go different ways / ways. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s | |
| Synonyms | separate, part, split up, split, break up | |
| Narrower | break, break away | interrupt a continued activity |
| break with | end a relationship / relationship | |
| disassociate, dissociate, divorce, disunite, disjoint | Part | |
| disunify, break apart | Break up or separate | |
| divorce, split up | Get a divorce | |
| give the axe, give the bounce, give the gate | terminate a relationship / relationship abruptly | |
| secede, splinter, break away | Withdraw from an organization or communion | |
| Spanish | distanciarse, separarse, separar | |
| Catalan | distanciar-se, separar-se, separar | |
| Nouns | break | a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions) |
| Meaning | Assign to a lower position; reduce in rank. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody; Somebody ----s something PP | |
| Synonyms | demote, bump, relegate, kick downstairs | |
| Narrower | reduce | Bring to humbler or weaker state or condition |
| sideline | Remove from the center of activity or attention | |
| Broader | delegate, designate, depute, assign | Give an assignment to (a person) to a post, or assign a task to (a person) |
| Opposite | promote, upgrade, advance, kick upstairs, raise, elevate | Give a promotion to or assign to a higher position |
| Spanish | chocar, relegar | |
| Meaning | Reduce to bankruptcy. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody; Something ----s somebody | |
| Example | "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!" | |
| Synonyms | bankrupt, ruin, smash | |
| Broader | impoverish | make poor |
| Spanish | arruinar, hacer quebrar | |
| Catalan | arruïnar, fer enfonsar | |
| Meaning | change directions suddenly. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s | |
| Broader | switch, shift, change | lay aside, abandon, or leave for another |
| Meaning | emerge from the surface of a body of water. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | appear | Come into sight or view |
| Spanish | emerger | |
| Catalan | emergir | |
| Meaning | break down, literally or metaphorically. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s; Somebody ----s | |
| Synonyms | collapse, fall in, cave in, give, give way, founder | |
| Caused by | collapse, burst | Cause to burst |
| Narrower | break | curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves |
| buckle, crumple | Fold or collapse | |
| flop | fall loosely | |
| implode, go off | Burst inward / inward | |
| slump, slide down, sink | fall or sink heavily | |
| Broader | change | Undergo a change |
| Similar to | abandon, give up | stop maintaining or insisting on |
| collapse, burst | Cause to burst | |
| Spanish | caer, ceder, colapsar, derrumbarse, desplomarse, desplomar, irse a pique, romperse | |
| Catalan | desplomar | |
| Meaning | Do a break dance. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s | |
| Model | Sam and Sue break | |
| Example | "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner" | |
| Synonyms | break dance, break-dance | |
| Broader | dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe | Move in a pattern |
| Meaning | Exchange for smaller units of money. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy" | |
| Broader | change, exchange, commute, convert | Exchange or replace with another, usually of the same kind or category |
| Similar to | break, break up | Destroy the completeness of a set of related items |
| Meaning | Destroy the completeness of a set of related items. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "The book dealer would not break the set" | |
| Synonym | break up | |
| Broader | change, alter, modify | Cause to change |
| Similar to | break | Exchange for smaller units of money |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Meaning | make the opening shot that scatters the balls. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s | |
| Category | billiards | Any of several games / games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls |
| Broader | shoot | Throw or propel in a specific direction or towards a specific objective |
| Nouns | break | the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool |
| Meaning | separate from a clinch, in boxing. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s somebody | |
| Broader | separate, disunite, divide, part | Force, take, or pull apart |
| Meaning | go to pieces. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Synonyms | wear, wear out, bust, fall apart | |
| Caused by | break, bust | ruin completely |
| Entailed by | leak | Have an opening that allows light or substances to enter or go out |
| Narrower | fray, frazzle | wear away by rubbing |
| Broader | decay, crumble, dilapidate | fall into decay or ruin |
| See also | break away, break off | break off (a piece from a whole) |
| break up, break apart | break violently or noisily | |
| Similar to | break, bust | ruin completely |
| Spanish | descomponerse, desmoronarse | |
| Catalan | descompondre, fracturar-se, rompre's, trencar-se | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Meaning | break a piece from a whole. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "break a branch from a tree" | |
| Synonyms | break off, snap off | |
| Broader | detach | Cause to become detached or separated |
| Spanish | quebrar, romper | |
| Catalan | partir | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Nouns | breakage | the act of breaking something |
| breaker | a quarry worker who splits off blocks of stone | |
| Meaning | Become punctured or penetrated. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Similar to | break | pierce or penetrate |
| Meaning | pierce or penetrate. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s something | |
| Broader | penetrate, perforate | Pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance |
| Similar to | break | Become punctured or penetrated |
| Spanish | romper | |
| Meaning | Be released or become known; of news. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Synonyms | get out, get around | |
| Caused by | leak | tell anonymously |
| unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out, uncover | Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret | |
| Narrower | leak, leak out | Be leaked |
| Similar to | unwrap, disclose, let on, bring out, reveal, discover, expose, divulge, break, give away, let out, uncover | Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret |
| Spanish | divulgarse | |
| Catalan | divulgar-se, esclatar, sortir a la llum | |
| Meaning | Cease an action temporarily. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s | |
| Example | "let's break for lunch" | |
| Synonyms | pause, intermit | |
| Narrower | rest, breathe, catch one's breath, take a breather | Take a short break from one's activities in order to relax |
| take five | Take a break for five minutes | |
| take ten | Take a ten minute break | |
| Broader | interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off | make a break / break in |
| Spanish | detenerse, hacer una pausa | |
| Catalan | parar | |
| Nouns | break | a pause from doing something (as work) |
| Meaning | interrupt the flow of current in. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Example | "break a circuit" | |
| Broader | interrupt, disrupt, break up, cut off | make a break / break in |
| Nouns | breaker | a device that trips like a switch and opens the circuit when overloaded |
| Meaning | Undergo breaking. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | diphthongize, diphthongise | change from a simple vowel to a diphthong |
| Meaning | Find a flaw in. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something | |
| Examples |
| |
| Broader | destroy, ruin | Destroy completely |
| Similar to | break | Find the solution or key to |
| Spanish | destruir | |
| Meaning | Find the solution or key to. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Example | "break the code" | |
| Broader | solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, lick, work | Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning / meaning of |
| Similar to | break | Find a flaw in |
| Spanish | descifrar | |
| Meaning | change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | switch, shift, change | lay aside, abandon, or leave for another |
| Meaning | happen / happen. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Synonyms | recrudesce, develop | |
| Broader | happen, hap, go on, pass off, occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place | Come to pass |
| See also | break out | start abruptly |
| break through | penetrate | |
| Similar to | develop | Be gradually disclosed or unfolded |
| Spanish | desarrollarse, ocurrir, pasar, recrudecerse, suceder | |
| Catalan | donar-se, succeir | |
| Meaning | Become fractured; break or crack on the surface only. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Synonyms | crack, check | |
| Narrower | crack | break partially but keep its integrity |
| Broader | change | Undergo a change |
| Similar to | check, chink | make cracks or chinks in |
| crack | Cause to become cracked | |
| Spanish | comprobar, fracturarse, rajarse, resquebrajar, romperse, romper | |
| Catalan | esberlar-se, esquerdar-se, esquerdar, esquerdissar, fracturar-se, rompre's, rompre, trencar-se, trencar | |
| Adjectives | breakable | capable of being broken or damaged |
| Nouns | break | breaking of hard tissue such as bone |
| Meaning | crack; of the male voice in puberty. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Example | "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir" | |
| Broader | change state, turn | Undergo a transformation or a change of position or action |
| Meaning | fall sharply. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Model | The stock market is going to break | |
| Broader | decrease, diminish, lessen, fall | decrease in size, extent, or range |
| Spanish | desplomarse | |
| Catalan | baixar, caure | |
| Meaning | fracture a bone of. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Somebody ----s something | |
| Model | Did he break his foot? | |
| Synonym | fracture | |
| Broader | injure, wound | Cause injuries or bodily harm to |
| Similar to | fracture | break (a bone) |
| Spanish | fracturar | |
| Catalan | fracturar | |
| Nouns | break | breaking of hard tissue such as bone |
| Meaning | diminish or discontinue abruptly. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s | |
| Broader | decrease, diminish, lessen, fall | decrease in size, extent, or range |
| Spanish | cortar | |
| Meaning | weaken or destroy in spirit or body. | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Something ----s somebody | |
| Broader | weaken | lessen the strength of |
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