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

She cheers along with the parents and hands out orange slices during the breaks between quarters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

I’ve been acting for so many years and felt very fortunate with all of the breaks that I’ve gotten.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

When Boulter connected, her power was too much for Lamens, but she could not consistently find her range, despite briefly threatening a comeback after rescuing one of the breaks in the opening set.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2025

DJ Sizzle, uses the breaks between artists as a way to share the bigger picture of the genre with the audience.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024

Slowly, meticulously, he unwraps the coil, carries the entire looped mess downstairs, and calls Jutta inside to hold the pieces for him while he splices the breaks.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr