break away
Idioms-
Leave hurriedly, escape, get loose. For example, The boy tried to break away, but his mother held onto his coat , or On the last lap the horse broke away from the pack . [First half of 1500s]
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Sever connections with a group. For example, It was hard for me to break away from that organization, but I knew it was necessary .
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Stop doing something, as in She broke away from work long enough to go out for lunch .
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.
Even those atas who try to break away often find themselves shackled to their old masters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
The LP is a 13-song project that delves into the complicated heartache of leaving home; what does it mean to break away from the nest where one was raised?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Becky Alderton, experience manager at Best of Suffolk, said a break away was very important for families - and with the conflict causing uncertainty, it was seeing an increase in demand for its cottages.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
Their models suggest that dense ice packed with nutrients can break away from surrounding ice and slowly sink through the shell until it reaches the ocean below.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2026
I watched the red truck finally break away from the SUV’s front bumper.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
