Break Away (Verb)
Meaning 1
Withdraw from an organization or communion; "After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- After the contract dispute, the players decided to break away and form their own union.
- Two factions broke away from the main group and started their own movement.
- Several churches broke away from the denomination over the theological disagreement.
- The smaller country broke away from the colonial empire and declared its independence.
- A key faction broke away from the main party to form a rival alliance and challenge their dominance.
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Meaning 2
Break off (a piece from a whole); "Her tooth chipped".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- A piece of ice broke away from the glacier and fell into the ocean.
- The rock formation was fragile and a section would break away if touched.
- When she bit into the hard candy, a small piece of her tooth broke away.
- The nail broke away from the wall, leaving a hole behind.
- A chunk of the cliff broke away during the storm, causing a landslide.
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Meaning 3
Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run; "If you see this man, run!"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The inmates tried to break away from the prison guards during the transfer.
- As soon as the alarm sounded, the thieves attempted to break away and vanish into the night.
- After setting the fire, the arsonist tried to break away before being seen by witnesses.
- The fugitive made a bold move to break away from the pursuing police car.
- In a daring move, the desperate bank robbers attempted to break away from the crime scene.
Synonyms
- Run Away
- Take To The Woods
- Lam
- Bunk
- Scat
- Fly The Coop
- Run
- Hightail It
- Escape
- Head For The Hills
- Scarper
- Turn Tail
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Meaning 4
Interrupt a continued activity; "She had broken with the traditional patterns".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The manager had to break away from her presentation to answer the urgent phone call.
- After a while, she decided to break away from her family's business and pursue her own career.
- The innovator wanted to break away from the conventional design and create something entirely new.
- The city council finally decided to break away from its outdated policies and introduce modern reforms.
- The artist's bold decision to break away from traditional techniques led to a unique style that gained international recognition.
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Meaning 5
Move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The little bird managed to break away from the cage and fly out the window.
- During the protest, a small group of activists attempted to break away from the police blockade.
- The prisoner carefully planned his move to break away from the guards during transfer.
- Years of domestic abuse made her realize it was time to break away from her controlling partner.
- She was anxious for her son to break away from his old friends after he started attending a new school.