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

That will raise taxes on higher earners — but, hey, them’s the breaks.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

In some cases, the breaks interrupted the flow of the game just as a team was starting to take control.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Instead, the breaks clustered inside genes controlled by super-enhancers.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

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

She was all for teaching, but her method was to teach during practice and during the breaks in play.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John