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commercial break

American

noun

a short interruption during radio or television programming for the broadcasting of a commercial or commercials.

commercial break British

noun

an interruption in a radio or television programme for the broadcasting of advertisements

"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

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.

Confused, Probst told the live audience, “I’m not even sure what’s happened,” before the show cut to a commercial break.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Likewise, the score by Tony Doogan leans too heavily on generic electronic thuds, the kind that segue into a commercial break cliffhanger and an ad for blood pressure medicine.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

That way, if changes were necessary, we could speak to each other in the commercial break.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

The nominations will be announced over about 20 minutes, with a gap in the middle to allow US network ABC to take a commercial break.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Finally, during a commercial break, I muted the TV.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023