break the internets

Verb

break the Internet (third-person singular simple present breaks the Internet, present participle breaking the Internet, simple past broke the Internet, past participle broken the Internet)

1. (US, colloquial, idiomatic, literally) To cause a connection to the Internet, or the Internet itself, to malfunction.
   • “Click on everything including graphics, buttons, and links, to see where they lead. Don't be afraid to get lost, and don't worry about making mistakes. 'You can't break the Internet,' says Warren Shaver, project manager for ASTD Online Services.”1996 Sacha Cohen, John Makulowich, Warren Shaver, Training & Development (cited in 2016 Merriam-Webster.com, "Words We're Watching: Break the Internet")

   Synonyms:

   break the interwebs, break the web

2. (figuratively, humorous, idiomatic) To overwhelm a web server through organic user-driven demand, such that the server goes offline or is in danger of doing so.
   • “Well furnished Dahlings, don't all rush on at once as you might break the internet, but The Conran Shop has a new website!”2001 Time Out (cited in 2016 Merriam-Webster.com, "Words We're Watching: Break the Internet")
3. (figuratively, idiomatic) To deliberately overwhelm a web server through a cyberattack such as a DDOS, such that the server goes offline or is in danger of doing so.
4. (Internet, figuratively, humorous, idiomatic) To do or say something ostentatious or controversial, such that the behavior causes a dramatic increase in traffic to a website or commentary on social media; to go viral.
   • “Obviously, Kim isn’t the first person to claim to ’break the Internet.’ In September Taylor Swift “broke the Internet” when she wore a T-shirt saying ’no it’s Becky,’ a super-meta reference to a Tumblr post where a user insisted that a picture of young Taylor was, in fact, someone named Becky....2014, Charlotte Alter, “What Does It Mean to 'Break the Internet'?”, in Time