1
as in to stop
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to end
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of break off
During meteor showers, Earthlings ooh and aah over bits of rock that have broken off comets or asteroids as the travel around the sun.
—
Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
Summer thunderstorms and winds easily topple large plants in small containers, breaking off plant parts and making a mess.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Many meteors originate from comets, breaking off as these celestial bodies approach the Sun, heating up and sprouting tails of dust and gas; this debris can fall into our atmosphere, manifesting as brilliant shooting stars.
—Sharon Adarlo, Futurism, 15 Apr. 2026
Many break off the attack entirely.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break off
Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
Summer thunderstorms and winds easily topple large plants in small containers, breaking off plant parts and making a mess.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
Many meteors originate from comets, breaking off as these celestial bodies approach the Sun, heating up and sprouting tails of dust and gas; this debris can fall into our atmosphere, manifesting as brilliant shooting stars.
—Sharon Adarlo, Futurism, 15 Apr. 2026
Many break off the attack entirely.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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Quin Snyder’s Towns wrinkle stalled the Knicks briefly, then stopped working.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The workers get ordered to start jobs, stop jobs, ignore jobs and are other things that turn them into ping pong balls, with the Butleys and the del Valles as the paddles.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His step-back jumper with 32 seconds left was the exclamation point, a shot that ended Orlando’s final push and extended Detroit’s season.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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Sophomore reliever Mason Almazan coaxed a shallow fly out with a runner at third to end the game.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hollis then began posting occasional pictures of Pino from his Facebook page onto her own Facebook page, despite a judge’s order to cease.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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Updates slowed after the original creators left the project, and new releases ceased entirely around 2007.—
Andrew Cunningham,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bryson DeChambeau’s contract, arguably LIV’s biggest draw, expires at the end of the year.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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In fact, historically, spending 5% on an at-the-money call option expiring in two weeks would have resulted in a loss overall.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a related lawsuit, a coalition of cultural preservation and architecture groups, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is also suing to halt the closure until the Center submits renovation plans to Congress for its approval.—
Elizabeth Blair,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Florida Supreme Court denied an appeal last week to halt Hitchcock's execution.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chief Deputy Medical Examiner Jonathan Lucas concluded that Patton’s death was an accident caused by acute bacterial bronchopneumonia complicated by influenza A, with substance use disorder and the effects of methadone listed as contributing factors.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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The Vikings could target him as an undrafted signing to bolster a defensive backs group that should look far different when the draft concludes.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Research published last year on Japanese nursing homes found that robot adoption reduced worker quit rates and was associated with better care quality.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
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While Rose and Blue had both worked for the same software company, Rose had quit her job, and Blue was expected to return to work on April 1, but did not.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Skydio has warned against relying on international suppliers after the drone maker was cut off from its supply of Chinese batteries when it was blacklisted by Beijing in October, the Wall Street Journal reported.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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The war has also cut off jet fuel supplies.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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