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.

---

Example Sentences

During the breaks, when people would gather in the hallway, many wondered aloud why, in a world where politicians are doing real harm to the public every day, would federal prosecutors go after someone who wasn’t.

From Los Angeles Times

In the breaks, he would take us to a Tibetan curry house where they all knew him.

From New York Times

If they wait too long to stop raising rates, they risk slamming the breaks on already anemic growth.

From Seattle Times

“So it’s just the breaks of the game. You can’t look back. The past, it’s always cherished. You learn from it, you cherish the past. I’ve been to seven Final Fours, two championships, and I cherish that. I also learn from the mistakes that were made,” he said.

From Seattle Times

“However, upon entry to the hearing, they all have phones out and they use them freely during the breaks,” Thompson tweeted.

From Seattle Times