break
Be careful not to break the vase.
Forms
broke past
She broke her phone yesterday.
broken past participle
The window has been broken for days.
breaks 3rd person singular
This weak glass breaks easily.
breaking present participle
The news is breaking right now.
broken adjective
He spoke with a broken voice.
breakage noun
The breakage was covered by insurance.
breaker noun
The waves crashed over the breakers.
Phrasal verbs
break down
To stop working or functioning properly.
My car broke down on the way to work.
break up
To end a relationship or a meeting; to separate into parts.
They decided to break up after a long argument.
break in
To enter a place by force and illegally; to interrupt someone.
Someone tried to break in while we were sleeping.
break out
To start suddenly, especially a fire, war, or illness.
A fire broke out in the kitchen late at night.
break through
To succeed in getting past a barrier or limitation.
After months of practice, she finally broke through and got the role.
break off
To end something suddenly or stop speaking.
He broke off the conversation when his phone rang.
break away
To separate from a group or escape control.
The cyclist broke away from the pack near the finish line.
break into
To enter a place by force; also to start doing something suddenly.
The thief tried to break into the store after midnight.