break the record
Idioms-
Surpass a previous achievement, as in He was determined to break the record for the high jump . This usage is applied primarily to sports of various kinds. [1880s]
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Move very fast, as in The lecture was so dull that we broke the record getting to the door : [Second half of 1900s]
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.
Poland's weather service issued high-level heat warnings for the western part of the country from Thursday to Saturday, forecasting temperatures could break the record of 40.2C set in 1921.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
He does, however, still have a long way to go to break the record for most assists ever in the Premier League - that is held by Ryan Giggs with 162.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
While the four astronauts will not touch down on the lunar surface, they are expected to break the record for the farthest distance from Earth during their pass around the Moon.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
That would break the record for a continuous deployment by a U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
I needed one touchdown to break the record for TDs in one season.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
