Break

Crime / violence / escaping

Break for: To suddenly run towards something when you are trying to escape
She had to hold him back as he tried to break for the door.
He broke for the door, but the guards got there before he did
Break away ( from sb/sth): To escape suddenly from somebody who is holding you
or keeping you prisoner
The prisoner broke away from his guards.
She broke away from him and ran towards the road
Break out (of sth): To escape from a place or situation
Three men have broken out of a top security jail.
Several prisoners broke out of the jail.
Break out (of war, fghting or other unpleasant events): to start suddenly.
They had escaped to America shortly before war broke out in 1!
Fighting had broken out between rival groups of fans.
Break in: To enter a building by force, in order to steal something.
"urglars had broken in while we were away
Thieves broke in and stole #1$,$$$ worth of computer e%uipment
Break into:
1) To enter a building by force; to open a car, etc. by force
&e had our car broken into last week
"ear breaks into vehicle and steals cookies
2) To use a computer to illegally get or change information that is on someone elses
computer.
Anonymous Hackers break into 'S (overnment )omputers
He was arrested after breaking into computer networks in several states.
Break (sth) up: To make people lea!e something or stop doing something,
especially by using force
Three policemen were needed to break up the fght.
*olice used tear gas to break up the demonstration
Break (sth) down: To make something fall down, open, etc. by hitting it hard
+irefghters had to break the door down to reach the people trapped inside
*olice had to break down the door to get into the ,at.
Break through (sth): To make a way through something using force
-emonstrators broke through the police cordon.
There was a police cordon around the site but the demonstrators still broke
through.
Money / Crowds / Health
"oney
Break into sth (sa!ings) : To start to spend money that you did not want to spend
. don/t want to break into my savings unless . have to.
Break into a note : To obtain, gi!e, or recei!e smaller units in e#change for
Have you noticed how, once you break into a note, the money 0ust disappears1
$rowds
Break up: To scatter, to disperse
*olice moved in to break up the meeting
(overnment soldiers broke up the demonstration
%ealth
Break down: To become !ery bad
%er health broke down under the pressure of work
Break sb of sth: $ause to discontinue a habit or practice
Try to break yourself of the habit of smoking.
Break out: To suddenly begin to ha!e a rash (&spots on the skin)
How to *revent Skin Breakouts
-etergents make my hands break out
Break out in sth: if you break out in something, it appears on your skin
2y whole body broke out in a sweat
eelings

Break down: To 'ose control of ones emotions when in a state of distress.
He tried to keep calm, not wanting to lose control and break down in front of the
man who was challenging him.
.n -ecember 13 he broke down in tears after losing to a little 4 known rival from
Hong 5ong.
She was afraid she would lose herself and completely break down.
!ervous breakdown: a period of mental illness, often accompanied by se!erely
impaired concentration, an#iety, insomnia, and lack of self(esteem, in which
somebody becomes !ery depressed, an#ious and tired, and cannot deal with normal
life and therefore, they cannot look after themsel!es.
He had once achieved some success as a songwriter but everything changed after
he su6ered a nervous breakdown.
The pressure and workload associated with revising for e7ams caused me to have a
severe nervous breakdown.
Break something down / Break down something: To change or remo!e
something that pre!ents people from working together and ha!ing a successful
relationship with each other (especially a particular feeling or attitude that somebody
has):
to break down resistance/opposition somebody's reserve/shyness
.t takes a long time to break down prejudices.
Attempts must be made to break down the barriers of fear and hostility which
divide the two communities.
(etting young people together will help to break down the barriers between the
workers.
Break into : To start doing something suddenly.
Her face broke into a smile.
The audience broke into loud applause.
The kid broke into a ,ood of tears as soon as his mom told him that she wouldn8t
give him candy unless he fnished up his food.
9:h, guys, . would kill to break into a song right now.; < (lee %uote
Break sb up: $ause someone to become e#tremely upset or to start crying
=ike all satirists from >uvenal on he is broken up about the march of folly.
(ordon had been crying for a week, and that song broke him up anew.
. cannot understand that, and it 0ust breaks me up terribly.
"oth of their parents died in that car crash, and it breaks me
up 0ust to think about it.
"elationships
Break away: To lea!e a group or political party and form another group, usually
because of disagreement.
The people of the province wished to break away and form a new state.
Break sth down: To change or remo!e sth that pre!ents people from working
together and ha!ing a successful relationship with each other.
Breaking down pre0udices takes a long time.
Break o#: To end a relationship. (suddenly)
She broke of their engagement only a few weeks before they due to be married.
Break away from sb / sth:
They broke away from the national union and set up their own local organi?ation.
Break with: To end a connection with sth.
To break with tradition @ old habits @ the past.
Break with sb/sth: To lea!e a group of people or an organi)ation, especially
because you ha!e had a disagreement with them.
She had broken with her family years ago.
Break up: *f a marriage, group of people or relationship breaks up, the people in it
separate and do not li!e or work together any more.
They decided to break up the partnership.
Break up with sb: To end a relationship with sb.
Has Sam really broken up with =ucy1
$nterruption/%topping
Break away from: to end a relationship or connection.
The small radical faction broke away from the independence movement.
Argentina broke away from the Spanish Ampire in 131$.
Break into: to interrupt or disturb sth, especially when sb is talking (often + ,-)
She longed to break in on their conversation but didn/t want to appear rude.
/Tom,/ 2aggie broke in an7iously. /-o we have to leave tomorrow1/
./m sorry to break in on you like this, but there/s an urgent call for you, >enny.
Break o#: (transiti!e) To stop doing something, especially speaking
=inda broke of, reali?ing that she was wrong.
*eople would break of their conversations when she came into the room.
He broke of in the middle of a sentence
Break out: To make a break from a restraining condition or situation
. also broke out of a bad slump on the golf course and had four good rounds in a
row.
The Tigers broke out of a 141 halftime tie and won going away.
Argentina broke out of a slump and reached the &orld )up fnals.
Break sth up: (transiti!e) *f a meeting or other e!ent breaks up, or if you break it
up, it ends and people lea!e
The talks didn/t break up until after midnight.
Sorry to break up the party, but . have to go.
Break sb up:
1) *f someone who is talking on a mobile phone is breaking up, their !oice can no
longer be heard clearly
Hello1 Bou/re breaking up. . can/t hear youC
2) To come to an end.
Their marriage has broken up.
Break up for: *f schools or uni!ersities, or the people who study or work in them
break up, classes end and the holidays start.
&hen do we break up for the summer holidays1
&hen do you break up for hristmas1
Break o# (for): To stop doing something for a time or for something
He broke of for a few moments, but returned to renew his attack on the
defenceless woman, this time kicking her as well as punching her.
Suddenly the music broke of for a special announcement.
After thoroughly revising phrasal verbs, the students broke of for cofee.
%tart / appearing
Break in / Break sb in: to make a person or animal get used to a certain way of
beha!ing. To help someone get used to something new, for e#ample a new .ob. To
make new shoes or clothes comfortable by wearing them
&e will have to break in three new sta6 members.
.8m still breaking in this new pair of running shoes.
There was no time to break in a new e7ecutive assistant
. fgured they were breaking me in and not giving me a chance to think this would
be an easy 0ob.
Dever, never wear new shoes without breaking them in at least a week ahead of
time.
Break down: (*ntransiti!e) to be unable to stop yourself crying, especially in public
.f . go to the funeral, ./ll break down.
The girl broke down and cried when she got a bad grade.
He tried to keep calm, not wanting to lose control and break down in front of the
man who was challenging him.
Break into sth:
1) To become in!ol!ed in a new acti!ity, especially a business acti!ity
"ritish Airways is trying to break into the American market.
2) To start doing something
break into a run/trot/gallop etc.! The kids saw the beach and broke into a run.
break into laughter/applause/songE . almost e7pected him to break into song.
break into a sweatE 2y legs were shaking with e7haustion, but *hil hadn/t even
broken into a sweat.
Break out: if something unpleasant such as a /re, war or disease breaks out, it
starts to happen
Several scuFes broke out in the crowd.
The fre must have broken out during the night.
1) (intransiti!e, ad!erb) to begin or arise suddenly 0 panic broke out
2) (transiti!e, ad!erb) to launch or introduce (a new product)
1) (transiti!e, ad!erb) to open and start using 0 break out the champagne
Break through:
1) To force a way through something. *f the sun or light breaks through, you can see
it through something such as clouds or mist.
At dawn !$$ tanks prepared to break through the enemy line.
A group of young demonstrators attempted to break through police lines.
2aggie/s head broke through the surface of the pool.
Sunshine breaking through the clouds
2) 2sed about someone3s beha!ior
Her sense of humor kept breaking through.
Methaphorical meaning: Separation
Break away:
1) *f an ob.ect breaks away from sth that is holding it in place, it becomes separated
from it.
The boat had broken away from it moorings.
GH ( from sb& To escape suddenly from sb who is holding you or keeping you
prisoner:
The prisoner broke away from the guards.
1) ( from sb/sth& To lea!e a group or an organi)ation, such as a political party or a
state, because of a disagreement, usually in order to form a new one:
Several 2*s broke away to form a new party.
Two states broke away from the federation.
IH ( from sb/sth& a group of people or a crowd
She managed to break away from the pack JKin a raceH and establish a lead.
He broke away from the group and came over to talk to us.
LH ( from sb/sth( to re.ect a tradition or the usual way of doing things and do sth
new and di4erent.
The company is trying to break away from its traditional image
5reakaway ad. (only before a noun)
(roup, political party, faction, movement, republic
Breakaway noun 6sing7 an act of separating from a larger group8state, etc
Break down / break sth down:
1) ( $nto sth/' to be di!ided into parts so that it is easier to discuss, to analyse or to
deal with
The 0ob breaks down into seven parts.
The %uestion can be broken down into two parts.
2) ( $nto sth ' if a substance breaks down, it separates into di4erent parts or
changes into sth else in a chemical process
Some pesticides break down safely in water.
An?ymes in the mouth and stomach break the food down.
1) Breakdown noun 9 The act of di!iding a substance into its parts in a chemical
process.
Break o# / break sth o#: To separate sth from sth else, using force; to become
separated from sth in this way.
A corner of her tooth had broken of.
He broke of a piece of chocolate and gave it to me.
Break sth out: By sth& ((m)) to separate information into categories in order to
study it more closely.
.t is useful to break out results by state.
Break up / break sth /sb up:
1H ( ($nto sth)& *f a group of people or a family breaks up, or sb breaks it up, the
members separate and do not stay together.
The conference broke up into discussion groups
She had never intended to break up his family.
GH ( ($nto sth) *f sth breaks up, of sb8sth breaks it up, it becomes separated into
smaller pieces.
The ship broke up on the rocks.
Sentences can be broken up into clauses.
"reak the chocolate up into small pieces
1) Break&up JnounH the di!ision of a company, a country, an organi)ation or a group
of people into smaller parts:
The break"up of the Soviet 'nion
%cience / machines
Break through:
1) to make new and important disco!eries
GH breakthrough JnounH :n important disco!ery or success that helps you achie!e
or deal with something.
Scientist have made a maior breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.
Break down:
1) *f a machine or a !ehicle breaks down, it stops working. To stop operating.
The washing machine has broken down so . have to wash all our clothes by hand.
These printing machines are always breaking downC
2) *f a substance breaks down, or if something breaks it down, it separates into
simple chemical substances from which it is formed.
Food is broken down in the stomach.
The damaged liver may lose its ability to break down chemicals in the body.
1) Breakdown JnounH : failure to work or be successful.
Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns.
Always carry a phone with you in case you have a breakdown on the motorway.