break bread

Idioms  

1. Have a meal, eat. For example, It's hard to remain enemies when you've broken bread together. This term occurs in numerous places in the New Testament, where it sometimes means to share bread and other times to distribute food to others. In later usage it came to refer to the sacramental bread of Communion in Christian services. The latter survives in the spiritual hymn, “Let Us Break Bread Together.” [1300s]

---

Example Sentences

“It was clear he had mastered how to build ties and create an atmosphere where people could break bread together and felt like they were getting access to him,” Stroul said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

And so the story returns, as it always does, to devastation: a creature who longed to break bread with humanity instead learns to starve himself of hope.

From Salon • Nov. 16, 2025

It is a little strange to see the presumptive mayor of New York City break bread with comedians like Mullen and Halkias in the reedy territory in which they operate.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2025

We all have drinks before enjoying a meal and I bake bread for every guest to open up the conversation and literally break bread over conversations.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2024

Gathered there were individuals from all over the world, from all walks of life, come to break bread and say a few prayers together.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda