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Synonyms

jawbreaker

American  
[jaw-brey-ker] / ˈdʒɔˌbreɪ kər /

noun

  1. Informal.  a word that is hard to pronounce.

    real jawbreakers like "antidisestablishmentarianism" or "antiangiogenic."

  2. a very hard, usually round, candy.

  3. Also called jaw crusherMining.  a machine used to break up ore, consisting of a fixed plate and a hinged jaw moved by a toggle joint.


jawbreaker British  
/ ˈdʒɔːˌbreɪkə /

noun

  1. Also called: jawcrusher.  a device having hinged jaws for crushing rocks and ores

  2. informal  a word that is hard to pronounce

"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

Other Word Forms

  • jawbreaking adjective
  • jawbreakingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of jawbreaker

First recorded in 1830–40; jaw 1 + breaker 1

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.

“I always describe the bags as being like beautiful white jawbreakers with saccharine colors all over them,” says Liana Satenstein, 35, a writer who focuses on the vintage market.

From Los Angeles Times

Most people give little thought to Earth’s deep interior, thinking of our home planet as simple nested layers, like a jawbreaker hard candy.

From Washington Post

“You could get the giant jawbreaker, the one the size of a tennis ball, and you’d have it for a year.”

From New York Times

I see those floppy ears and jawbreaker eyes and I’m a puddle of hot bone broth, like anyone else.

From New York Times

Playing through a severe injury is something of a hockey tradition, but the jawbreakers’ club is a smaller group.

From Seattle Times