Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of break

80 similar words · 7 opposite words

Another word for break is burst. Other synonyms of break are smash, violate, fracture and shatter. The opposite of break is join.

Synonyms and similar words for break

verbTo turn an animal into a beast of burden.

verbTo cause, or allow the occurrence of, a line break.

  • contraveneTo act contrary to an order; to fail to conform to a regulation or obligation.

verbTo alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men, generally to go up, in women, sometimes to go...

  • crackTo break apart under force, stress, or pressure.

nounAn instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.

nounA physical space that opens up in something or between two things.

  • breachA gap or opening made by breaking or battering, as in a wall, fortification or levee / embankment; the space between...
  • gapAn opening in anything, made by breaking or parting.
  • spaceThe distance between objects.
  • interspaceA space or interval between two things; an interstice.
  • interstice
  • interstitium
  • opening
  • separationAn interval, gap or space that separates things or people.
  • hole
  • interlapse obsolete, rareThe distance between two things.

nounA rest or pause, usually from work.

  • shift breakSynonym of break (“a rest or pause, usually from work”).
  • time-outA short break in the action of a sport, for substitution, consultation, etc.
  • breatherA short break; a rest or respite.
  • cessationA ceasing or discontinuance, for example of an action, whether temporary or final.
  • demurral
  • caesuraA break of an era or other measure of history and time; where one era ends and another begins; turning point.
  • hiatusA gap in a series, making it incomplete.
  • halt
  • haltingThe action of one who halts; a stopping or hesitancy.
  • interregnumA break in continuity; a gap, an intermission.
  • interruption
  • lapseA temporary failure; a slip.
  • moratorium
  • pauseA short time for relaxing and doing something else.
  • recessA temporary stoppage of an activity; a break, a pause.
  • respiteA brief interval of rest or relief.
  • restingA pause; a break; an interlude.
  • stoppageA pause or halt of some activity.
  • stopping
  • suspension

nounA time for students to talk or play between lessons.

  • playtimeA time when children can play outside during the school day.

nounA short holiday.

  • day offA day of vacation; a day when one does not go to work, school, etc.
  • time offA period of time where one is not required to work.
  • annual leaveThe use of such days to be away from work; on holiday or vacation.
  • getaway
  • holiday UKA period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel; often plural.
  • leavePermission to be absent; time away from one's work.
  • leave of absenceA period of time during which a person is absent from work or other duty for a reason other than normal holidays or a...
  • time away
  • vacTo vacuum; to clean with a vacuum cleaner.
  • vacation Canada, US
  • vacaA surname from Spanish.
  • vacay USA vacation.

nounThe beginning (of the morning).

  • crack of dawnThe first moment of daylight; the instant at which sunrise begins.
  • ass crack of dawn Canada, USAn intensifier, used in the same contexts as crack of dawn, but more intense.
  • break of dawnDaybreak.
  • break of dayDaybreak.
  • butt crack of dawn Canada, USAn intensifier, used in the same contexts as crack of dawn, but more intense.
  • cockcrowThe time of day at which the first crow of a cockerel is heard; dawn or daybreak; first light.
  • dawn
  • daybreakThe beginning of the day; the first moment of daylight.
  • daylightDaybreak.
  • first light
  • lauds
  • sparrow-fart Australia, UK
  • sun literary
  • sunlightSynonym of sunrise.
  • sunriseThe time of day when the sun appears above the eastern horizon.
  • sunup USThe time of day when the sun appears above the eastern horizon.
  • dayspring archaicThe beginning of the day, or first appearance of light; the dawn; daybreak.
  • solrise rareThe time of day when Sol, the sun in the Solar System, appears to rise over a planet's horizon.
  • sunrising obsoleteSunrise, daybreak.

verbErgative: separate into two or more pieces.

  • burstTo break from internal pressure.

verbMore synonyms

  • bustTo break.
  • shatterOf brittle solid materials (like glass or ice), to violently break into pieces.
  • shear(also 'shear off') To break or suddenly separate because of excessive force, eg. a bolt.
  • smashTo break (something brittle) violently.
  • bisect
  • fractureTo break, or cause something to break.
  • subject
  • tame
  • go againstTo violate; to breach; to break.
  • violateTo break or disregard (a rule or convention).
  • fail
  • go down

verbIntransitive: stop functioning.

  • break downTo bust down or bust a move; to perform energetic, often freestyle or hip-hop moves, frequently during a song’s...

Opposite of break

verbAntonym(s) of.

verbMore antonyms

Meaning of break

  1. verb To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.
  2. verb To crack or fracture (bone) under a physical strain.
  3. verb To make the first shot; to scatter the balls from the initial neat arrangement.

Full definition of break

break in other languages

Questions about synonyms of break

What is another word for break?
Break has 80 synonyms on Word.ws, such as burst, smash, violate, fracture and shatter.
What is the opposite of break?
The opposite of break is join.
What does break mean?
Break means to separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: break (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this page: “Synonyms of break.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/break. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.