WordLens

break away

1 of 1verb
/ˈbreɪk əˈweɪ/
Forms:breaks away,breaking away,broke away,broken away
1

to escape from a person who is holding one

B2
  • She managed to break away from her captor and run to safety.
  • The child tried to break away from his mother's grasp and explore the park on his own.
  • The horse suddenly broke away from its rider and galloped freely across the field.
  • The prisoner attempted to break away from the guards during the chaos.
  • The protesters tried to break away from the police blockade and continue their march.
2

to distance oneself from a crowd or competitors, typically in a race

  • The soccer player skillfully broke away from the defenders.
  • The swimmer's strategy was to break away from the crowded start.
  • In the final lap, the car driver attempted to break away from the trailing cars.
  • The runner tried to break away, but the group was too fast.
Synonyms:
3

to separate a piece from a larger whole

transitive
  • The continuous pressure can break away particles from the surface.
  • The earthquake had the potential to break away portions of the mountain.
  • The wear and tear on the gears may break away small fragments.
  • Over time, erosion can break away sections of the cliff.
  • The chef will break away a slice from the large wheel of cheese.
4

to decide to leave a group or community

  • The scientist had to break away from the research team due to conflicting theories.
  • The community leader wanted to break away from the established norms.
  • The artist chose to break away from the mainstream art community.
  • The political party wanted to break away from the coalition government.
  • The employee wanted to break away from the restrictive policies of the company.
Synonyms:
5

to stop or interrupt an ongoing activity

  • The urgent email made her break away the project momentarily.
  • The movie will break away for a brief intermission.
  • I need to break away my study session to answer an important call.
  • The teacher will break away the lecture to answer student questions.
Synonyms: