break the record
Idioms-
Surpass a previous achievement, as in He was determined to break the record for the high jump . This usage is applied primarily to sports of various kinds. [1880s]
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Move very fast, as in The lecture was so dull that we broke the record getting to the door : [Second half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
LA28 is planning to make 14 million tickets available for the Games, which would break the record for total tickets sold set by Paris 2024.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
That would break the record for a continuous deployment by a U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
To mark her eighth birthday on 3 March, Amelia is hoping to break the record for the most birthday cards received in the UK, by hitting the 8,000 cards mark.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
Sales are expected to range between 92 trillion and 94 trillion won, which would also break the record of 86 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2025.
From Barron's • Jan. 7, 2026
“Not until you break the record for living in a fort. We could bring you food. And pillows. And books.”
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
