BREAK OFF Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

break off

verb

Definition of break off

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of break off The disaster began Wednesday when a massive chunk of ice and rock dozens of times larger than the Empire State Building broke off a mountaintop and triggered the catastrophic flooding, geologists said. — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026 The deadly flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday was likely caused by a huge chunk of a glacier that broke off and temporarily dammed a river, according to preliminary investigations by scientists. — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 Sheeran told the jurors that Weida directed him to break off the $10 million for Hope Florida, according to the report. — Justin Garcia, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 This is the most significant ice calving event (where ice breaks off of a glacier) seen in the Arctic since 2020. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for break off

Recent Examples of Synonyms for break off

Verb

The new rules mandated that referees stop play for a ten-minute hydration break that allows players to drink fluids, change clothes, or shower in their locker room.

— Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
The team stopped at 800 N because increasing the load further would require additional protective equipment, with a separate destructive limit test planned.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of stop

Verb

However, the action may not end at 11pm — deal sheets allow clubs to conclude signings two hours after the transfer window closes, provided the correct paperwork is submitted before the deadline.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Amid a scorching stretch, Bregman ends the month with his lifetime total now sitting at two.

— Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of end

Verb

The turf needs this lead time to absorb the nutrients before growth ceases in winter.

— Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026
Ukraine is warning the world that airlines and other civilian aircraft must cease operations in Russian airspace or risk being caught in crossfire.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of cease

Verb

Costs for consumers in the Affordable Care Act marketplace have soared amid expiring ACA premium subsidies, and insurance affordability poses a political threat to Republicans during upcoming midterm elections.

— Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
But on a final attempt to tie the game with time expired, quarterback Cruz James was intercepted by TFA freshman Jaylen Johnson in the end zone to seal TFA’s victory.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of expire

Verb

Tribes whose historic homelands fall within the forest became leading voices in the effort to halt logging, with the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Priscilla Hunter emerging as a major force.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
But since February, its progress has halted, said Leo Rossignac-Milon, the co-founder of Track My Visa, a third-party service that monitors applications for 25,000 users.

— Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of halt

Verb

Still, several financial analysts have concluded that the prediction frenzy, with its sleek mobile apps and easy-to-understand odds, are driving the stock drops.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
An autonomous attacker does not care what an organization's SPRS score says, whether its dashboard is green or whether an assessment concluded that a control was implemented.

— Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of conclude

Verb

Craig, now a devoted granddad with a dry sense of humor, began working alongside his father at thirteen, quitting school even though teachers warned him that house moving was a dying trade.

— Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Hep Spyder blamed Dwight for Buffo Carducci’s quitting on him back when Dwight was Hep’s tent boss.

— Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of quit

Verb

It would only be cut off under much steeper reductions, the likes of which are not included in the next few years of Colorado River plans.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Risk assessments should examine where a river bends, where slopes are unstable and where a single failure could cut off several communities.

— Victoria Milko, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026