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.
Yet another hurdle the company faced was breaking into international markets as the car has not gained regulatory approval for sale in Australia, New Zealand or European Union countries.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
By the early 2000s, British Asian culture was breaking into the mainstream.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
And just as she thought that her breath was breaking, that the blood might burst through her ears, Jinny felt her feet touch bottom, and she let herself collapse.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
