break
verb (used with object)
to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments.
was breaking
-
past progressiveof break.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Diplomats posted to NATO’s arched-glass headquarters in Brussels began grabbing each other in their offices and huddling in regional groupings, according to people close to the talks, discussing whether their alliance was breaking apart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Fast-forward through many decades: Spain’s Latin American empire, which had so brutally begun in the early 16th century, was breaking into independent nations by the 19th.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Noonan did not realize the comet was breaking up until he reviewed the images the following day.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 21, 2026
I got a crying voice note from a source whose voice was breaking.
From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2026
“It looks almost as though the dawn was breaking over there, beyond those hills. It can’t be though, it’s too early.”
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
