WordNet Search

Key: "S:" = Show Synset (semantic) relations, "W:" = Show Word (lexical) relations

Display options for sense: (gloss) "an example sentence"

Display options for word: word (sense key)

Noun

S: (n) interruption (interruption%1:11:00::), break (break%1:11:00::) (some abrupt occurrence that interrupts an ongoing activity) "the telephone is an annoying interruption"; "there was a break in the action when a player was hurt"
S: (n) break (break%1:11:01::), good luck (good_luck%1:11:00::), happy chance (happy_chance%1:11:00::) (an unexpected piece of good luck) "he finally got his big break"
S: (n) fault (fault%1:17:00::), faulting (faulting%1:17:00::), geological fault (geological_fault%1:17:00::), shift (shift%1:17:00::), fracture (fracture%1:17:00::), break (break%1:17:00::) ((geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other) "they built it right over a geological fault"; "he studied the faulting of the earth's crust"
S: (n) rupture (rupture%1:11:00::), breach (breach%1:11:00::), break (break%1:11:03::), severance (severance%1:11:00::), rift (rift%1:11:00::), falling out (falling_out%1:11:00::) (a personal or social separation (as between opposing factions)) "they hoped to avoid a break in relations"
S: (n) respite (respite%1:04:00::), recess (recess%1:04:00::), break (break%1:04:05::), time out (time_out%1:04:00::) (a pause from doing something (as work)) "we took a 10-minute break"; "he took time out to recuperate"
S: (n) breakage (breakage%1:04:00::), break (break%1:04:00::), breaking (breaking%1:04:00::) (the act of breaking something) "the breakage was unavoidable"
S: (n) pause (pause%1:28:00::), intermission (intermission%1:28:00::), break (break%1:28:00::), interruption (interruption%1:28:00::), suspension (suspension%1:28:00::) (a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something)
S: (n) fracture (fracture%1:26:00::), break (break%1:26:00::) (breaking of hard tissue such as bone) "it was a nasty fracture"; "the break seems to have been caused by a fall"
S: (n) break (break%1:11:02::) (the occurrence of breaking) "the break in the dam threatened the valley"
S: (n) break (break%1:11:04::) (an abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion)) "then there was a break in her voice"
S: (n) break (break%1:04:03::) (the opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool)
S: (n) break (break%1:04:07::), break of serve (break_of_serve%1:04:00::) ((tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving) "he was up two breaks in the second set"
S: (n) break (break%1:04:01::), interruption (interruption%1:04:00::), disruption (disruption%1:04:02::), gap (gap%1:04:00::) (an act of delaying or interrupting the continuity) "it was presented without commercial breaks"; "there was a gap in his account"
S: (n) break (break%1:04:02::) (a sudden dash) "he made a break for the open door"
S: (n) open frame (open_frame%1:04:00::), break (break%1:04:06::) (any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare) "the break in the eighth frame cost him the match"
S: (n) break (break%1:04:04::), breakout (breakout%1:04:00::), jailbreak (jailbreak%1:04:00::), gaolbreak (gaolbreak%1:04:00::), prisonbreak (prisonbreak%1:04:00::), prison-breaking (prison-breaking%1:04:00::) (an escape from jail) "the breakout was carefully planned"

Verb

S: (v) interrupt (interrupt%2:30:00::), break (break%2:30:03::) (terminate) "She interrupted her pregnancy"; "break a lucky streak"; "break the cycle of poverty"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:00::), separate (separate%2:30:03::), split up (split_up%2:30:00::), fall apart (fall_apart%2:30:03::), come apart (come_apart%2:30:00::) (become separated into pieces or fragments) "The figurine broke"; "The freshly baked loaf fell apart"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:06::) (render inoperable or ineffective) "You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:01::), bust (bust%2:35:01::) (ruin completely) "He busted my radio!"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:10::) (destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments) "He broke the glass plate"; "She broke the match"
S: (v) transgress (transgress%2:41:00::), offend (offend%2:41:00::), infract (infract%2:41:00::), violate (violate%2:41:00::), go against (go_against%2:41:00::), breach (breach%2:41:00::), break (break%2:41:00::) (act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises) "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise"
S: (v) break (break%2:38:02::), break out (break_out%2:38:00::), break away (break_away%2:38:01::) (move away or escape suddenly) "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"
S: (v) break (break%2:38:08::) (scatter or part) "The clouds broke after the heavy downpour"
S: (v) break (break%2:37:00::), burst (burst%2:37:00::), erupt (erupt%2:37:00::) (force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up) "break into tears"; "erupt in anger"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:02::), break off (break_off%2:30:00::), discontinue (discontinue%2:30:00::), stop (stop%2:30:05::) (prevent completion) "stop the project"; "break off the negotiations"
S: (v) break in (break_in%2:41:00::), break (break%2:41:11::) (enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act) "Someone broke in while I was on vacation"; "They broke into my car and stole my radio!"; "who broke into my account last night?"
S: (v) break in (break_in%2:30:00::), break (break%2:30:11::) (make submissive, obedient, or useful) "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern"
S: (v) violate (violate%2:42:00::), go against (go_against%2:42:00::), break (break%2:42:00::) (fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns) "This sentence violates the rules of syntax"
S: (v) better (better%2:33:00::), break (break%2:33:00::) (surpass in excellence) "She bettered her own record"; "break a record"
S: (v) unwrap (unwrap%2:32:00::), disclose (disclose%2:32:00::), let on (let_on%2:32:00::), bring out (bring_out%2:32:06::), reveal (reveal%2:32:00::), discover (discover%2:32:04::), expose (expose%2:32:01::), divulge (divulge%2:32:00::), break (break%2:32:00::), give away (give_away%2:32:00::), let out (let_out%2:32:00::), uncover (uncover%2:32:00::) (make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret) "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case"; "The newspaper uncovered the President's illegal dealings"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:04::) (come into being) "light broke over the horizon"; "Voices broke in the air"
S: (v) fail (fail%2:30:00::), go bad (go_bad%2:30:01::), give way (give_way%2:30:00::), die (die%2:30:04::), give out (give_out%2:30:00::), conk out (conk_out%2:30:00::), go (go%2:30:03::), break (break%2:30:05::), break down (break_down%2:30:00::) (stop operating or functioning) "The engine finally went"; "The car died on the road"; "The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town"; "The coffee maker broke"; "The engine failed on the way to town"; "her eyesight went after the accident"
S: (v) break (break%2:41:01::), break away (break_away%2:41:01::) (interrupt a continued activity) "She had broken with the traditional patterns"
S: (v) break (break%2:38:10::) (make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing) "The ranks broke"
S: (v) break (break%2:38:01::) (curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves) "The surf broke"
S: (v) dampen (dampen%2:30:00::), damp (damp%2:30:00::), soften (soften%2:30:02::), weaken (weaken%2:30:04::), break (break%2:30:09::) (lessen in force or effect) "soften a shock"; "break a fall"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:12::) (be broken in) "If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress"
S: (v) break (break%2:42:15::) (come to an end) "The heat wave finally broke yesterday"
S: (v) break (break%2:42:05::) (vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity) "The flat plain was broken by tall mesas"
S: (v) break (break%2:42:04::) (cause to give up a habit) "She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes"
S: (v) break (break%2:42:03::) (give up) "break cigarette smoking"
S: (v) break (break%2:42:14::) (come forth or begin from a state of latency) "The first winter storm broke over New York"
S: (v) break (break%2:41:15::) (happen or take place) "Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months"
S: (v) break (break%2:41:09::) (cause the failure or ruin of) "His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage"; "This play will either make or break the playwright"
S: (v) break (break%2:41:10::) (invalidate by judicial action) "The will was broken"
S: (v) separate (separate%2:41:02::), part (part%2:41:00::), split up (split_up%2:41:01::), split (split%2:41:00::), break (break%2:41:13::), break up (break_up%2:41:00::) (discontinue an association or relation; go different ways) "The business partners broke over a tax question"; "The couple separated after 25 years of marriage"; "My friend and I split up"
S: (v) demote (demote%2:41:00::), bump (bump%2:41:00::), relegate (relegate%2:41:00::), break (break%2:41:06::), kick downstairs (kick_downstairs%2:41:00::) (assign to a lower position; reduce in rank) "She was demoted because she always speaks up"; "He was broken down to Sergeant"
S: (v) bankrupt (bankrupt%2:40:00::), ruin (ruin%2:40:00::), break (break%2:40:07::), smash (smash%2:40:00::) (reduce to bankruptcy) "My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!"; "The slump in the financial markets smashed him"
S: (v) break (break%2:38:15::) (change directions suddenly)
S: (v) break (break%2:38:09::) (emerge from the surface of a body of water) "The whales broke"
S: (v) collapse (collapse%2:38:00::), fall in (fall_in%2:38:00::), cave in (cave_in%2:38:00::), give (give%2:38:13::), give way (give_way%2:38:01::), break (break%2:38:11::), founder (founder%2:38:00::) (break down, literally or metaphorically) "The wall collapsed"; "The business collapsed"; "The dam broke"; "The roof collapsed"; "The wall gave in"; "The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice"
S: (v) break dance (break_dance%2:38:00::), break-dance (break-dance%2:38:00::), break (break%2:38:00::) (do a break dance) "Kids were break-dancing at the street corner"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:11::) (exchange for smaller units of money) "I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:10::), break up (break_up%2:35:10::) (destroy the completeness of a set of related items) "The book dealer would not break the set"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:14::) (make the opening shot that scatters the balls)
S: (v) break (break%2:35:04::) (separate from a clinch, in boxing) "The referee broke the boxers"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:00::), wear (wear%2:35:00::), wear out (wear_out%2:35:00::), bust (bust%2:35:00::), fall apart (fall_apart%2:35:00::) (go to pieces) "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:05::), break off (break_off%2:35:02::), snap off (snap_off%2:35:00::) (break a piece from a whole) "break a branch from a tree"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:13::) (become punctured or penetrated) "The skin broke"
S: (v) break (break%2:35:09::) (pierce or penetrate) "The blade broke her skin"
S: (v) break (break%2:32:05::), get out (get_out%2:32:00::), get around (get_around%2:32:00::) (be released or become known; of news) "News of her death broke in the morning"
S: (v) pause (pause%2:32:01::), intermit (intermit%2:32:00::), break (break%2:32:04::) (cease an action temporarily) "We pause for station identification"; "let's break for lunch"
S: (v) break (break%2:32:13::) (interrupt the flow of current in) "break a circuit"
S: (v) break (break%2:32:07::) (undergo breaking) "The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages"
S: (v) break (break%2:31:06::) (find a flaw in) "break an alibi"; "break down a proof"
S: (v) break (break%2:31:05::) (find the solution or key to) "break the code"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:14::) (change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another) "Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:01::), recrudesce (recrudesce%2:30:01::), develop (develop%2:30:03::) (happen) "Report the news as it develops"; "These political movements recrudesce from time to time"
S: (v) crack (crack%2:30:01::), check (check%2:30:03::), break (break%2:30:15::) (become fractured; break or crack on the surface only) "The glass cracked when it was heated"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:07::) (crack; of the male voice in puberty) "his voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir"
S: (v) break (break%2:30:08::) (fall sharply) "stock prices broke"
S: (v) fracture (fracture%2:29:00::), break (break%2:29:04::) (fracture a bone of) "I broke my foot while playing hockey"
S: (v) break (break%2:29:11::) (diminish or discontinue abruptly) "The patient's fever broke last night"
S: (v) break (break%2:29:10::) (weaken or destroy in spirit or body) "His resistance was broken"; "a man broken by the terrible experience of near-death"