the breaks

Idioms  

1. Pieces of luck, turns of events, as in No matter how well he pitches, the team always makes fielding errors—that's the breaks, I guess, or There's not much you can do if the breaks are against you. In the singular and modified forms, this term becomes. In the plural form, only the context determines its favorable or unfavorable meaning. [Slang; early 1900s] Also see tough break.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

the breaks

While many coaches at the World Cup have, like Tuchel, seen the usefulness of the breaks, even if they still don't like the idea of them, fans remain unconvinced.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Most of the breaks were repaired within 24 hours, and the neurons continued functioning normally.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

Fellow US broadcaster Telemundo, which shows matches in Spanish and is aimed at Latino Americans, is one of the few broadcasters which has decided not to show ads during the breaks.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Former Arsenal and England forward Ian Wright made it clear where he stood on the breaks.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer