break·away
ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā 
1
a
: one that breaks away
b
: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)
2
a
: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b
: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3
: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact
1
: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2
: made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3
a
: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b
: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed
broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away
1
: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away
2
: to depart from former or accustomed ways
3
: to pull away with a burst of speed
Examples of breakaway in a Sentence
Adjective
A breakaway faction formed a new party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024
The series, which emerged as a breakaway hit with season one in 2022, features a cast of college students who make problematic choices one after the next, in a squirming but can’t stop watching manner.
—Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 28 Oct. 2024
Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2023
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024
Only a handful of the lyrics are sung in English, proving that Tyla can continue breaking through the mainstream without breaking away from the sounds of her native South Africa.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breakaway 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
But the Buckeyes had the best chance on the Tommies’ power play, with Strom stopping 11-goal scorer Joy Dunne on a breakaway.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024
The series, which emerged as a breakaway hit with season one in 2022, features a cast of college students who make problematic choices one after the next, in a squirming but can’t stop watching manner.
—Leigh Nordstrom, WWD, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Furthermore, Moscow’s various calls for respect of the UN Charter would have been taken more seriously had Russia itself not unilaterally recognized the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, or annexed Crimea and instigated a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 13 Mar. 2023
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Verb
Tyler broke away from industry norms for Chromakopia’s rollout, electing to drop the project on a Monday morning rather than at the typical midnight Friday standard.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2024
Only a handful of the lyrics are sung in English, proving that Tyla can continue breaking through the mainstream without breaking away from the sounds of her native South Africa.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breakaway
Dictionary Entries Near breakaway
Cite this Entry
“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share