Showing results for "breaking"

• present participle of break.

breaking

¹ American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a news story) currently developing or having happened recently and being released for publication or airing, as on television or radio, in print, or on the internet.

   Our network aims to be your trusted source for breaking news, local weather, and sports.

2. coming into being suddenly.

   When I awoke, it was breaking day over the eastern horizon.

3. changing or collapsing suddenly.

   This is a photograph of a breaking wave in the subantarctic waters of the Southern Ocean.

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breaking ² American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. Phonology. the change of a pure vowel to a diphthong, especially in certain environments, as, in Old English, the change of a vowel to a diphthong under the influence of a following consonant or combination of consonants, as the change of -a- to -ea- and of -e- to -eo- before preconsonantal r or l and before h, as in earm “arm” developed from arm, and eorthe “earth” from erthe.

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breaking ³ American  

[brey-king] / ˈbreɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. break dancing.

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breaking British  

/ ˈbreɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. linguistics (in Old English, Old Norse, etc) the change of a vowel into a diphthong

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Etymology

Origin of breaking¹

First recorded in 1930–35; break ( def. ) (in the sense “to release a news story for publication”) + -ing ² ( def. )

Origin of breaking²

First recorded in 1870–75; translation of German Brechung; see break, -ing ¹

Origin of breaking³

First recorded in 1980–85; by ellipsis

Example Sentences

Alumni lounge in camping chairs around dozens of chatty college dads who look like Hank Schrader from Breaking Bad.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

Breaking down jobs within healthcare and social assistance, some of California’s biggest growth came from mental health practitioners and occupations that work with elderly people and people with disabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Breaking this rule leads to penalties and messy corrections.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Nike developed carbon fiber running shoes as part of its Breaking 2 project in 2016, an innovation credited for faster marathon times.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

“Many times over. On purpose. Estella doesn’t know how to do anything else. Breaking hearts is her only power in the world.”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart