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
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox broke off their two-year engagement in November of 2024, just weeks after announcing Fox’s pregnancy.
—
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
But the Cubs broke off to form the Marquee Sports Network in 2020, and regional sports networks, long the cash cow of pay TV, have struggled financially in recent years as cord-cutting takes its toll on the cable bundle.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles, and adult snakes’ rattles occasionally break off, according to the National Park Service.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025
The awesome sight likely wasn't entirely harmless: Remnants of the cosmic object may have broken off and plummeted through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, according to the local National Weather Service office.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 18 June 2025
But the Cubs broke off to form the Marquee Sports Network in 2020, and regional sports networks, long the cash cow of pay TV, have struggled financially in recent years as cord-cutting takes its toll on the cable bundle.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles, and adult snakes’ rattles occasionally break off, according to the National Park Service.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025
The awesome sight likely wasn't entirely harmless: Remnants of the cosmic object may have broken off and plummeted through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, according to the local National Weather Service office.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for break off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off
Verb
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The toddler stopped crying about 15 minutes after she had been put down for a nap.—
Karen Kucher,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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The black box stopped recording a few seconds later.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Wayfair’s four-day flash sale ends on Friday, July 11, so keep scrolling to shop even more deals on outdoor furniture and decor below.—
Clint Davis,
People.com,
9 July 2025
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That legal standoff ended so CBS’ corporate parent, Paramount Global, could get regulatory approval for its merger with Skydance.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The order instructs the testing facility to cease operations as of July 4, and gives them 21 days to request for a hearing over the commission’s action.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
2 July 2025
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Trump signed an order May 2 directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease funding NPR and PBS.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Indeed, the executive order that established ORM and requires regulatory analysis expires in June 2026.—
Susan E. Dudley,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Taking effect in September 2026 and extending through the 2029-30 season, the new CBA was passed by a majority vote from both the NHL’s Board of Governors and the NHL Players’ Association, more than 14 months before the current agreement expires.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
Verb
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Due to the storm damage, the city of Plainfield said that its city pools and parks are closed on Tuesday for inspection and safety assessment, while services at the Plainfield Senior Center are halted.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
15 July 2025
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In an unsigned order on Monday, the top court temporarily lifted a lower court ruling from May that indefinitely paused the layoffs and reinstated those who were let go, while also halting President Donald Trump’s Executive Order from March which called for the department to be closed down.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Johnson concluded that the program breached a guideline on accuracy, which deals with misleading audiences.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
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The court concluded the precise wording of the promise did not satisfy the technical requirements of a doctrine known as promissory estoppel.—
Marianne Pizzitola,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Money has also been spent on nongovernmental organization programs that hand out clean needles and crack pipes as part of progressive harm reduction policies instead of encouraging homeless drug users to quit.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
14 July 2025
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Although the overall unemployment rate is just 4.1%, few people are quitting jobs today, and employers are skittish about hiring.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 July 2025
Verb
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There are now more than 1 billion Android devices that fall foul of Google’s cutting off security updates for Android 12 and older phones, and also from its tweaking its Play Integrity API to disfavor apps running on these unsupported versions of the OS.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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At least 65,000 students could lose access to after-school or summer programs, and 80,000 people could be cut off from adult education and literacy services, according to estimates by the state Education Department.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20off. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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