1
as in ending
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 stopping
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 breaking off
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
Suggestions include breaking off from Meta entirely and offering a similar oversight service to other social platforms.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Throughout the series, the couple navigated major life changes, including Lily’s brief move to San Francisco after breaking off her engagement with Marshall, plus arguments about their respective careers.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Tonga provides an immediate upgrade there, and, at worst, should take some pressure off a secondary that too often had to play superhero on the back end to prevent opposing running backs from breaking off big gains.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Vrabel first held a press conference at a podium inside the Indiana Convention Center before breaking off into a less formal side session with local reporters later.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
While that thankfully hasn't been the case this year, the county did have a hit-and-run involving a semi breaking off a snowplow mirror.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
In that unlikely scenario, there would be a risk of debris breaking off the asteroid and hitting Earth.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
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
Suggestions include breaking off from Meta entirely and offering a similar oversight service to other social platforms.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026
Throughout the series, the couple navigated major life changes, including Lily’s brief move to San Francisco after breaking off her engagement with Marshall, plus arguments about their respective careers.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Tonga provides an immediate upgrade there, and, at worst, should take some pressure off a secondary that too often had to play superhero on the back end to prevent opposing running backs from breaking off big gains.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
Vrabel first held a press conference at a podium inside the Indiana Convention Center before breaking off into a less formal side session with local reporters later.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
While that thankfully hasn't been the case this year, the county did have a hit-and-run involving a semi breaking off a snowplow mirror.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 4 Feb. 2026
In that unlikely scenario, there would be a risk of debris breaking off the asteroid and hitting Earth.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking off
Verb
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The Nats then went to the bullpen, ending his night at eight runs (four earned) on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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But it was retrieved and Oaks Christian’s runner was tagged out at the plate trying to score, ending the game.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That led many to believe that, while treatments and crisis care are vital, the goal of suicide prevention needs to expand beyond stopping people from dying to also giving them reasons to live.—
Aneri Pattani,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Bain walked purposefully, never slowing, never stopping — not even to size himself up in his new Bucs hat in the mirror — before striding onstage for a hug with the commissioner.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sam Brunson, a nonprofit law professor at Loyola University Chicago, told Fortune that as a general rule, a donor who dislikes how a charity later spends its money has no recourse beyond ceasing to donate.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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With this version of LIV Golf potentially ceasing to exist, and a potential player path back onto the PGA Tour a complete unknown, players could be scrambling to find their footing in the professional golf world for at least a brief period of time.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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If the latest investigations produce new tariffs in time to replace the expiring Section 122 levies, the process will have taken less than half that long.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What was clear was that progress toward a universal theory of ultrafinitism has been halting in part because there has been no one clear motivation for the movement, or any singular approach to deciding what its underlying logic should look like.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
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Blue Owl was among the poster children of this phenomenon, halting quarterly redemptions in OBDC II in mid-February, and opting instead to return capital periodically through portfolio asset sales.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Albanese noted that despite concluding that risks to Australian Jews were rising, the report found that no urgent changes were required to keep Australians safe.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The war has closed the Strait of Hormuz, effectively cutting off one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The war has inflicted damage on the UAE’s energy infrastructure and blocked oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off a critical stream of dollar income.—
Maria Paula Mijares Torres,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Deep in the woods, a tree had fallen over a power line, blocking the road out of the canyon and effectively shutting off all of the electricity in the immediate area.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
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Companies could also consider shutting off access to their technology for certain time frames, Rae suggests.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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