break the news

Idioms  

1. 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.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

break the news

That is the sort of information a patient should hear from their physician, who can break the news gently, and provide context and prognosis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

However, the scientific paper detailing the discovery was published sooner than expected, meaning he had to break the news to him during a video call instead.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

At the end of the letter I thought it honest to break the news officially that I was in Cambridge and would remain there until a decision was made.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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Related Words

• advise
• announce
• confess
• declare
• disclose
• explain
• express
• inform
• instruct
• mention
• notify
• order
• report
• reveal
• say
• speak
• state
• summon

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