break the news

Idioms

Make something known, as in We suspected that she was pregnant but waited for her to break the news to her in-laws. This term, in slightly different form (break a matter or break a business), dates from the early 1500s. Another variant is the 20th-century journalistic phrase, break a story, meaning “to reveal a news item or make it available for publication.”

Example Sentences

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break the news

Humphrys told The Times he "staggered" back to the office after a "lavish" lunch in August 1974 - and then told to break the news that US president Richard Nixon was resigning.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

So when I called him to break the news, he started crying.

From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026

It wasn’t easy to go into Lazarus’ office to break the news about her condition after just six months on the job and a massive task ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

It fell to Barshay to break the news.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026

“Am I going to break the news to Mrs. Van Hopper or are you?” he said.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

break the news

Example Sentences

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