The Meaning of break

• (v. t.) To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock.
• (v. t.) To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.
• (v. t.) To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.
• (v. t.) To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.
• (v. t.) To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey.
• (v. t.) To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.
• (v. t.) To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
• (v. t.) To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.
• (v. t.) To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
• (v. t.) To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax.
• (v. t.) To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.
• (v. t.) To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow.
• (v. t.) To impart, as news or information; to broach; -- with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend.
• (v. t.) To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle.
• (v. t.) To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin.
• (v. t.) To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.
• (v. i.) To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder.
• (v. i.) To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag.
• (v. i.) To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn.
• (v. i.) To burst forth violently, as a storm.
• (v. i.) To open up; to be scattered; to be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking.
• (v. i.) To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.
• (v. i.) To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.
• (v. i.) To fall in business; to become bankrupt.
• (v. i.) To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.
• (v. i.) To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.
• (v. i.) To fall out; to terminate friendship.
• (v. t.) An opening made by fracture or disruption.
• (v. t.) An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship.
• (v. t.) A projection or recess from the face of a building.
• (v. t.) An opening or displacement in the circuit, interrupting the electrical current.
• (v. t.) An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.
• (v. t.) An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc.
• (v. t.) The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.
• (v. t.) A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.
• (v. t.) A device for checking motion, or for measuring friction. See Brake, n. 9 & 10.
• (n.) See Commutator.

Synonyms

interruption , good luck , happy chance , fault , faulting , geological fault , shift , fracture , rupture , breach , severance , rift , falling out , respite , recess , time out , breakage , breaking , pause , intermission , interruption , suspension , fracture , break of serve , interruption , disruption , gap , open frame , breakout , jailbreak , gaolbreak , prisonbreak , prison-breaking , interrupt , separate , split up , fall apart , come apart , bust , transgress , offend , infract , violate , go against , breach , break out , break away , burst , erupt , break off , discontinue , stop , break in , break in , violate , go against , better , unwrap , disclose , let on , bring out , reveal , discover , expose , divulge , give away , let out , fail , go bad , give way , die , give out , conk out , go , break down , break away , dampen , damp , soften , weaken , separate , part , split up , split , break up , demote , bump , relegate , kick downstairs , bankrupt , ruin , smash , collapse , fall in , cave in , give , give way , founder , break dance , break-dance , break up , wear , wear out , bust , fall apart , break off , snap off , get out , get around , pause , intermit , recrudesce , develop , crack , check , fracture

Antonyms

repair , keep , conform to , make , promote

Homophones

brake

Rhymes

ache , ake , awake , backache , bake , beefsteak , bellyache , betake , blake , brake , caique , cake , cheesecake , crake , cupcake , dake , daybreak , drake , earthquake , fake , flake , forsake , fruitcake , haick , haik , hake , handshake , headache , heartache , heartbreak , hotcake , intake , jacque , jake , keepsake , kittiwake , lake , make , mandrake , milkshake , mistake , muckrake , naik , namesake , opaque , outbreak , outtake , overtake , paik , pake , pancake , partake , plake , quake , rake , rattlesnake , remake , retake , sake , schlake , schnake , schwake , shaik , shaikh , shake , shortcake , shrake , slake , snake , snowflake , spake , stake , steak , strake , sweepstake , take , undertake , uptake , wake , yake