1
as in stopped
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 ended
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of broken off
According to police, the ignition key had been broken off in the door.
—
Sophie Sonnenfeld, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
It was found empty with a key broken off in the driver's side door lock, according to police.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The key had been broken off on the driver's side door.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
According to the news release, the vehicle was found parked and unoccupied, with a key broken off in the driver’s door lock.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
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
During the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, engineers discovered more than 100 locations on the Orion heat shield that had cracked and broken off during reentry.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
It’s been stolen and recovered, had its nose broken off, and for 20 years the city stored it away for safety, which rather defeats the point of public statuary.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Firefighters found that the beam had broken off and toppled, throwing the workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside a concrete formwork platform.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Sophie Sonnenfeld, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
It was found empty with a key broken off in the driver's side door lock, according to police.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
The key had been broken off on the driver's side door.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
According to the news release, the vehicle was found parked and unoccupied, with a key broken off in the driver’s door lock.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
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
During the unmanned Artemis I mission in 2022, engineers discovered more than 100 locations on the Orion heat shield that had cracked and broken off during reentry.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
It’s been stolen and recovered, had its nose broken off, and for 20 years the city stored it away for safety, which rather defeats the point of public statuary.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Firefighters found that the beam had broken off and toppled, throwing the workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one inside a concrete formwork platform.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken off
Verb
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In a preliminary injunction, Judge Robert Pitman stopped short of ordering a temporary air conditioning remedy.—
Leigh Waldman,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Swayman stopped the puck but had to freeze it for a defensive-zone faceoff.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
26 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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The program was created by Congress to help quickly protect nationals of countries that, as a result of natural or man-made disasters, were dangerous for people to return to, with routine reevaluations to decide if the protections would be extended or ended.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Pittsburgh Penguins staved off elimination for the second straight game with a clutch Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night, but celebrations were briefly halted when a skirmish erupted over a controversial hit on Sidney Crosby after the final buzzer.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The two biggest steel producers, Mobarakeh Steel and Khuzestan Steel, as well as smaller mills, halted production.—
Amir-Hussein Radjy,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Williams promised an investigation but ceased communications.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Apr. 2026
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Rodent issues at Angel Stadium had ceased since a 2007 report in The Times that the stadium had been cited 118 times for vermin violations in the previous two years.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 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
Verb
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Tatum was fast asleep in the car in a further cute image, as the carousel concluded with another selfie of Kardashian and True.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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Independent analysts have concluded that after all the changes so far have effectively produced a draw.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cairenes are used to sitting at cafes until the small hours, but energy price spikes from the Iran war pushed authorities to impose a curfew, and dim or shut off streetlights, one of several such efforts to preserve fuel worldwide.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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As the fire continued to burn, crews called both Los Angeles Department of Water and Power personnel and the property's gas company to shut off utilities at the home.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now he’s gone and directed this lively documentary that features those aforementioned interviews.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, Miranda has gone viral too, in the bad way, for publishing a piece about a fashion brand since revealed to use sweatshop labor.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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