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Synonyms

break off

British  

verb

  1. to sever or detach or be severed or detached

    it broke off in my hands

    he broke a piece off the bar of chocolate

  2. (adverb) to end (a relationship, association, etc) or (of a relationship, etc) to be ended

  3. (intr, adverb) to stop abruptly; halt

    he broke off in the middle of his speech
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the act or an instance of breaking off or stopping

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
break off Idioms  

  1. Stop abruptly, as in The trade talks broke off yesterday . [First half of 1300s]

  2. Separate, sever a connection, as in The baby broke off the tops of all the flowers , or The new sect has broken off from the established church . [First half of 1500s]

  3. End a relationship or friendship, as in Mary broke off her engagement to Rob . [Mid-1600s]

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.

“Should we leave NATO? Should we close American bases? Should we break off trade relations? Should we storm McDonald’s?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

"This enables us to measure the many different types of waves that are generated after icebergs break off," says lead author Dominik Gräff, a UW postdoctoral researcher affiliated with ETH Zurich.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

At Notre Dame, a blatant missed run fit saw Irish back Jeremiyah Love break off an explosive touchdown run that turned the tides.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

At one point it appeared she tried to break off the conversation to sit down on the frontbench but he kept going.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

I break off branches from the holly bushes and a few sprigs of pine and carry them inside.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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.