break off
verb
broke off; broken off; breaking off; breaks off
1
: to stop abruptly
break off in the middle of a sentence
2
: to become detached
branches that broke off in the storm
3
: to end a relationship
broke off with his business partner
1
: discontinue
break off diplomatic relations
2
: to remove by or as if by breaking
broke off a chunk of bread
Synonyms
Examples of break off in a Sentence
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Recent Examples on the Web
The claim: Mexico broke off relations with Canada A Dec. 8 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims one North American nation has cut diplomatic ties with another.
—
Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
After first calving, or breaking off, from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg spent some 30 years grounded in the seafloor of the Weddell Sea.
—Manuela López Restrepo, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
In 2021, Levis ended their relationship and broke off their engagement.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The tension subsides only in the last iteration, as the bare interval A-E swells and then breaks off.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break off 
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Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
After first calving, or breaking off, from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg spent some 30 years grounded in the seafloor of the Weddell Sea.
—Manuela López Restrepo, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
In 2021, Levis ended their relationship and broke off their engagement.
—Liza Esquibias, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
The tension subsides only in the last iteration, as the bare interval A-E swells and then breaks off.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break off
Dictionary Entries Near break off
Cite this Entry
“Break off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20off. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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