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.
As the road wears over time, the particles that break away are made up of rock, asphalt binder, and polymer together rather than plastic by itself.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
They break away from the formation and leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
So Beijing is accelerating efforts to develop its own advanced semiconductors and break away from reliance on US hardware.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Skaters bide their time in a peloton—before trying to break away from the bunch with a decisive burst.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026
Halls break away from the room, which is where all of the furniture must be.
From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender
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.
