ALL meanings of break away
break a·way
B b - phrasal verb break away If you break away from someone who is trying to hold you or catch you, you free yourself and run away. 3
- phrasal verb break away If you break away from something or someone that restricts you or controls you, you succeed in freeing yourself from them. 3
- noun break away to leave suddenly; get away; escape 3
- verb with object break away to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments: He broke a vase. 1
- verb with object break away to infringe, ignore, or act contrary to (a law, rule, promise, etc.): She broke her promise. 1
- verb with object break away to dissolve or annul (often followed by off): to break off friendly relations with another country. 1
- verb with object break away to fracture a bone of (some part of the body): He broke his leg. 1
- verb with object break away to lacerate; wound: to break the skin. 1
- verb with object break away to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt: The bleating of a foghorn broke the silence. The troops broke formation. 1
- verb with object break away to put an end to; overcome; stop: His touchdown run broke the tie. She found it hard to break the cigarette habit. 1
- verb with object break away to discover the system, key, method, etc., for decoding or deciphering (a cryptogram), especially by the methods of cryptanalysis. 1
- verb with object break away to remove a part from (a set or collection): She had to break the set to sell me the two red ones I wanted. 1
- verb with object break away to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components: She broke a dollar bill into change. The prism broke the light into all the colors of the rainbow. 1
- verb with object break away to make a way through; penetrate: The stone broke the surface of the water. 1
- verb with object break away Law. to open or force one's way into (a dwelling, store, etc.). to contest (a will) successfully by judicial action. 1
- verb with object break away to make one's way out of, especially by force: to break jail. 1
- verb with object break away to better (a given score or record): He never broke 200 in bowling or 80 in golf. 1
- verb with object break away to disclose or divulge personally in speech or writing: He broke the good news to her at dinner. 1
- verb with object break away to solve: The police needed only a week to break that case. 1
- verb with object break away to rupture (a blood vessel): She almost broke a blood vessel from laughing so hard. 1
- verb with object break away to disable or destroy by or as if by shattering or crushing: to break a watch. 1
- verb with object break away to cause (a blister, boil, or the like) to burst, as by puncturing: She broke the blister with a needle. 1
- verb with object break away to ruin financially; make bankrupt: They threatened to break him if he didn't stop discounting their products. 1
- verb with object break away to overcome or wear down the spirit, strength, or resistance of; to cause to yield, especially under pressure, torture, or the like: They broke him by the threat of blackmail. 1
- verb with object break away to dismiss or reduce in rank. 1
- verb with object break away to impair or weaken the power, effect, or intensity of: His arm broke the blow. 1
- verb with object break away to train to obedience; tame: to break a horse. 1
- verb with object break away to train away from a habit or practice (usually followed by of). 1
- verb with object break away Electricity. to render (a circuit) incomplete; stop the flow of (a current). 1
- verb with object break away Journalism. to release (a story) for publication or airing on radio or television: They will break the story tomorrow. to continue (a story or article) on another page, especially when the page is not the following one. 1
- verb with object break away Pool. to cause (racked billiard balls) to scatter by striking with the cue ball. 1
- verb with object break away Sports. (of a pitcher, bowler, etc.) to hurl (a ball) in such a way as to cause it to change direction after leaving the hand: He broke a curve over the plate for a strike. (in tennis and other racket games) to score frequently or win against (an opponent's serve). 1
- verb with object break away Nautical. to unfurl (a flag) suddenly by an easily released knot. 1
- verb with object break away to prove the falsity or show the lack of logic of: The FBI broke his alibi by proving he knew how to shoot a pistol. 1
- verb with object break away to begin or initiate (a plan or campaign), especially with much publicity: They were going to break the sales campaign with a parade in April. 1
- verb with object break away to open the breech or action of (a shotgun, rifle, or revolver), as by snapping open the hinge between the barrel and the butt. 1
- verb without object break away to shatter, burst, or become broken; separate into parts or fragments, especially suddenly and violently: The glass broke on the floor. 1
- verb without object break away to become suddenly discontinuous or interrupted; stop abruptly: She pulled too hard and the string broke. 1
- verb without object break away to become detached, separated, or disassociated (usually followed by away, off, or from): The knob broke off in his hand. 1
- verb without object break away to become inoperative or to malfunction, as through wear or damage: The television set broke this afternoon. 1
- verb without object break away to begin suddenly or violently or change abruptly into something else: War broke over Europe. 1
- verb without object break away to begin uttering a sound or series of sounds or to be uttered suddenly: She broke into song. When they entered, a cheer broke from the audience. 1
- verb without object break away to express or start to express an emotion or mood: His face broke into a smile. 1
- verb without object break away to free oneself or escape suddenly, as from restraint or dependency (often followed by away): He broke away from the arresting officer. She finally broke away from her parents and got an apartment of her own. 1
- verb without object break away to run or dash toward something suddenly (usually followed by for): The pass receiver broke for the goal line. 1
- verb without object break away to force a way (usually followed by in, into, or through): The hunters broke through the underbrush. 1
- verb without object break away to burst or rupture: A blood vessel broke in his nose. The blister broke when he pricked it. 1
- verb without object break away to interrupt or halt an activity (usually followed by in, into, forth, or from): Don't break in on the conversation. Let's break for lunch. 1
- verb without object break away to appear or arrive suddenly (usually followed by in, into, or out): A deer broke into the clearing. A rash broke out on her arm. 1
- verb without object break away to dawn: The day broke hot and sultry. 1