Break vs. Shatter — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 28, 2024
Break refers to the act of splitting or causing something to separate into pieces, often without complete disintegration. Shatter, on the other hand, implies a more violent breaking into many small pieces, often leaving nothing whole.
Difference Between Break and Shatter
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Break involves the separation of something into two or more pieces, potentially repairable or partial. It indicates a division or damage to an object's integrity but doesn't necessarily imply complete destruction. Shatter is a more intense form of breaking, often resulting in numerous small pieces and suggesting a sense of irreversibility. It's associated with materials like glass or brittle plastic, where the application of force leads to explosive or dramatic fragmentation.
While both break and shatter describe the process of an object losing its original shape and integrity, the cause and outcome can vary significantly. A break might result from a direct force, wear and tear, or environmental factors, leading to a variety of outcomes from a clean split to a jagged fracture. Shattering, however, usually results from a sudden and forceful impact, producing a multitude of pieces and often accompanied by a loud noise, highlighting the energy involved in the process.
The materials prone to breaking or shattering also differ. More malleable materials like wood or metal tend to break, showing bending or fracturing without complete disintegration. Conversely, shattering is typical of brittle materials like glass or ceramics, which lack the flexibility to absorb impact or stress without fragmenting extensively.
The emotional or metaphorical use of these terms also differs. To say a relationship is broken might suggest repairability or the possibility of mending, whereas describing it as shattered implies a more profound, possibly irreversible, damage, reflecting the depth of disruption or emotional impact involved.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Separation into two or more pieces, not necessarily complete disintegration.
Violent breaking into many small pieces.
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Cause
Direct force, wear and tear, environmental factors.
Sudden, forceful impact.
Outcome
Potentially repairable or partial damage.
Numerous small pieces, often irreparable.
Typical Materials
Wood, metal (more malleable).
Glass, brittle plastics (more brittle).
Metaphorical Usage
Suggests possibility of repair or mending.
Implies profound, irreversible damage.
Compare with Definitions
Break
To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently.
The plate will break if you drop it.
Shatter
To break suddenly into many small pieces.
The window shattered upon impact.
Break
To snap off or detach by applying force.
He managed to break the branch from the tree.
Shatter
To cause to be emotionally devastated.
Losing the championship shattered the team's spirits.
Break
To interrupt (a continuity, sequence, or course).
The movie night was broken by a sudden power outage.
Shatter
To destroy or disrupt.
The revelation shattered his illusions.
Break
To exceed or surpass.
The athlete aims to break the world record.
Shatter
To disperse or drive off in various directions.
The scarecrow shattered the flock of birds.
Break
To change direction abruptly.
The river breaks to the east after the ridge.
Shatter
To damage severely.
The news shattered her composure.
Break
Separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain
The rope broke with a loud snap
Windows in the street were broken by the blast
Shatter
To cause to break or burst suddenly into pieces, as with a violent blow.
Break
Interrupt (a continuity, sequence, or course)
The new government broke the pattern of growth
His concentration was broken by a sound
Shatter
To damage seriously; disable
His health was shattered by the disease.
Break
Fail to observe (a law, regulation, or agreement)
The council says it will prosecute traders who break the law
A legally binding contract which can only be broken by mutual consent
Shatter
To cause the destruction or ruin of; destroy
The outcome of the conflict shattered our dreams of peace and prosperity.
Break
Crush the emotional strength, spirit, or resistance of
The idea was to better the prisoners, not to break them
Shatter
To break into pieces; smash or burst
The glass shattered when it hit the floor.
Break
(of the weather) change suddenly, especially after a fine spell
The weather broke and thunder rumbled through a leaden sky
Shatter
Often shatters A fragment or splinter
A rare piece of porcelain now in shatters.
Break
(of news or a scandal) suddenly become public
Since the news broke I've received thousands of wonderful letters
Shatter
A scattering collection or spray of fragments
"A window broke into a shatter of glass" (Rosemund Pilcher).
Break
(chiefly of an attacking player or team, or of a military force) make a rush or dash in a particular direction
Mitchell won possession and broke quickly, allowing Hughes to score
Shatter
(transitive) To violently break something into pieces.
The miners used dynamite to shatter rocks.
A high-pitched voice that could shatter glass
The old oak tree has been shattered by lightning.
Break
An interruption of continuity or uniformity
The magazine has been published without a break since 1950
Shatter
(transitive) To destroy or disable something.
Break
A pause in work or during an activity or event
I need a break from mental activity
A coffee break
Those returning to work after a career break
Shatter
(intransitive) To smash, or break into tiny pieces.
Break
A gap or opening
The track bends left through a break in the hedge
He stopped to wait for a break in the traffic
Shatter
(transitive) To dispirit or emotionally defeat.
To be shattered in intellect; to have shattered hopes, or a shattered constitution
Break
An instance of breaking something, or the point where something is broken
He was stretchered off with a break to the leg
Shatter
Of seeds: to be dispersed upon ripening.
Break
A rush or dash in a particular direction, especially by an attacking player or team
Norwich scored on a rare break with 11 minutes left
Shatter
(obsolete) To scatter about.
Break
An opportunity or chance, especially one leading to professional success
He got his break as an entertainer on a TV music hall show
Shatter
A fragment of anything shattered.
To break a glass into shatters
Break
A consecutive series of successful shots, scoring a specified number of points
A break of 83 put him in front for the first time
Shatter
A (pine) needle.
Break
A bud or shoot sprouting from a stem.
Shatter
A form of concentrated cannabis.
Break
Former term for breaking cart
Shatter
To break at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, or part violently into fragments; to rend into splinters; as, an explosion shatters a rock or a bomb; too much steam shatters a boiler; an oak is shattered by lightning.
A monarchy was shattered to pieces, and divided amongst revolted subjects.
Break
Another term for brake
Shatter
To disorder; to derange; to render unsound; as, to be shattered in intellect; his constitution was shattered; his hopes were shattered.
A man of a loose, volatile, and shattered humor.
Break
To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently; smash.
Shatter
To scatter about.
Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.
Break
To divide into pieces, as by bending or cutting
Break crackers for a baby.
Shatter
To be broken into fragments; to fall or crumble to pieces by any force applied.
Some fragile bodies break but where the force is; some shatter and fly in many places.
Break
To separate into components or parts
Broke the work into discrete tasks.
Shatter
A fragment of anything shattered; - used chiefly or soley in the phrase into shatters; as, to break a glass into shatters.
Break
To snap off or detach
Broke a twig from the tree.
Shatter
Break into many pieces;
The wine glass shattered
Break
To cause to undergo a fracture of (a bone, for example)
The impact of the fall broke his leg.
Shatter
Break into many pieces;
Shatter the plate
Break
To experience a fracture in (a bone, for example)
I broke my wrist when skateboarding.
Break
To crack without separating into pieces
Broke the mirror.
Break
To destroy the completeness of (a group of related items)
Broke the set of books by giving some away.
Break
To exchange for smaller monetary units
Break a dollar.
Break
To vary or disrupt the uniformity or continuity of
A plain that was broken by low hills.
Caught the ball without breaking stride.
Break
(Electricity) To render (a circuit) inoperative by disruption; open.
Break
To open (a shotgun or similar firearm) at the breech, as for loading or cleaning.
Break
To force or make a way through; puncture or penetrate
The blade barely broke the skin.
Break
To part or pierce the surface of
A dolphin breaking water.
Break
To produce (a sweat) copiously on the skin, as from exercise.
Break
To force one's way out of; escape from
Break jail.
Break
To make or bring about by cutting or forcing
Break a trail through the woods.
Break
To find an opening or flaw in
They couldn't break my alibi.
Break
To find the solution or key to; uncover the basic elements and arrangement of
Break a code.
Break a spy ring.
Break
To make known, as news
Break a story.
Break
To surpass or outdo
Broke the league's home-run record.
Break
To overcome or put an end to, especially by force or strong opposition
Break a deadlock in negotiations.
Break a strike.
Break
(Sports) To win a game on (an opponent's service), as in tennis.
Break
To lessen the force or effect of
Break a fall.
Break
To render useless or inoperative
We accidentally broke the radio.
Break
To weaken or destroy, as in spirit or health; overwhelm with adversity
"For a hero loves the world till it breaks him" (William Butler Yeats).
Break
To cause the ruin or failure of (an enterprise, for example)
Indiscretion broke both marriage and career.
Break
To reduce in rank; demote.
Break
To cause to be without money or to go into bankruptcy.
Break
To fail to fulfill; cancel
Break an engagement.
Break
To fail to conform to; violate
Break the speed limit.
Break
(Law) To cause (a will) to be invalidated because of inconsistency with state inheritance laws or as a result of other legal insufficiency.
Break
To give up (a habit).
Break
To cause to give up a habit
They managed to break themselves of smoking.
Break
To train to obey; tame
The horse was difficult to break.
Break
To become separated into pieces or fragments.
Break
To become cracked or split.
Break
To become fractured
His arm broke from the fall.
Break
To become unusable or inoperative
The television broke.
Break
To give way; collapse
The scaffolding broke during the storm.
Break
To burst
The blister broke.
Break
To intrude
They broke in upon our conversation.
Break
To filter in or penetrate
Sunlight broke into the room.
Break
To scatter or disperse; part
The clouds broke after the storm.
Break
(Games) To make the opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
Break
(Sports) To separate from a clinch in boxing.
Break
(Sports) To win a game on the opponent's service, as in tennis
Broke twice in the first set.
Break
To move away or escape suddenly
Broke from his grip and ran off.
Break
To come forth or begin from a state of latency; come into being or emerge
A storm was breaking over Miami. Crocuses broke from the soil.
Break
To emerge above the surface of water.
Break
To become known or noticed
The big story broke on Friday.
Break
To change direction or move suddenly
The quarterback broke to the left to avoid a tackler.
Break
(Baseball) To curve near or over the plate
The pitch broke away from the batter.
Break
To change suddenly from one tone quality or musical register to another
His voice broke into a falsetto.
Break
(Linguistics) To undergo breaking.
Break
To change to a gait different from the one set. Used of a horse.
Break
To interrupt or cease an activity
We'll break for coffee at ten.
Break
To discontinue an association, an agreement, or a relationship
The partners broke over a financial matter. One hates to break with an old friend.
Break
To diminish or discontinue abruptly
The fever is breaking.
Break
To diminish in or lose physical or spiritual strength; weaken or succumb
Their good cheer broke after repeated setbacks.
Break
To decrease sharply in value or quantity
Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs.
Break
To come to an end
The cold spell broke yesterday.
Break
To collapse or crash into surf or spray
Waves that were breaking along the shore.
Break
(Informal) To take place or happen; proceed
Things have been breaking well for them.
Break
To engage in breaking; break dance.
Break
The act or an occurrence of breaking.
Break
The result of breaking, as a crack, separation, or opening
A break in the clouds.
Break
The beginning or emergence of something
The break of day.
Break
A sudden movement; a dash
The dog made a break toward the open field.
Break
An escape
A prison break.
Break
An interruption or a disruption in continuity or regularity
Television programming without commercial breaks.
Break
A pause or interval, as from work
A coffee break.
Break
A sudden or marked change
A break in the weather.
Break
A violation
A security break.
Break
An often sudden piece of luck, especially good luck
Finally got the big break in life.
Break
An allowance or indulgence; accommodating treatment
The boss gave me a break because I'd been sick.
Break
A favorable price or reduction
A tax break for charitable contributions.
Break
A severing of ties
Made a break with the past.
A break between the two families.
Break
(Informal) A faux pas.
Break
A sudden decline in prices.
Break
A caesura.
Break
The space between two paragraphs.
Break
A series of three dots ( ... ) used to indicate an omission in a text.
Break
The place where a word is or should be divided at the end of a line.
Break
(Electricity) Interruption of a flow of current.
Break
(Geology) A marked change in topography such as a fault or deep valley.
Break
(Nautical) The point of discontinuity between two levels on the deck of a ship.
Break
The point at which one register or tonal quality changes to another.
Break
The change itself.
Break
An improvised instrumental solo played in jazz and other popular music while the other musicians stop or play softly.
Break
A change in a horse's gait to one different from that set by the rider.
Break
(Sports) The swerving of a ball from a straight path of flight, as in baseball or cricket.
Break
(Sports) The beginning of a race.
Break
A fast break.
Break
The separation after a clinch in boxing.
Break
(Games) The opening shot that scatters the grouped balls in billiards or pool.
Break
(Games) A run or unbroken series of successful shots, as in billiards or croquet.
Break
Sports & Games Failure to score a strike or a spare in a given bowling frame.
Break
(Sports) A service break.
Break
Variant of brake6.
Break
Break dancing.
Break
To separate into two or more pieces, to fracture or crack, by a process that cannot easily be reversed for reassembly.
If the vase falls to the floor, it might break.
In order to tend to the accident victim, he will break the window of the car.
Break
To crack or fracture (bone) under a physical strain.
His ribs broke under the weight of the rocks piled on his chest.
She broke her neck.
He slipped on the ice and broke his leg.
Break
(transitive) To divide (something, often money) into smaller units.
Can you break a hundred-dollar bill for me?
The wholesaler broke the container loads into palettes and boxes for local retailers.
Break
(transitive) To cause (a person or animal) to lose spirit or will; to crush the spirits of.
Her child's death broke Angela.
Interrogators have used many forms of torture to break prisoners of war.
The interrogator hoped to break her to get her testimony against her accomplices.
Break
To turn an animal into a beast of burden.
You have to break an elephant before you can use it as an animal of burden.
Break
(intransitive) To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief.
My heart is breaking.
Break
(transitive) To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate.
I've got to break this habit I have of biting my nails.
To break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey
I had won four games in a row, but now you've broken my streak of luck.
Break
To end the run of (a play).
Break
(transitive) To ruin financially.
The recession broke some small businesses.
Break
To fail in business; to go broke, to become bankrupt.
Break
Of prices on the stock exchange: to fall suddenly.
Break
(transitive) To violate; to fail to adhere to.
When you go to Vancouver, promise me you won't break the law.
He broke his vows by cheating on his wife.
Break one's word
Time travel would break the laws of physics.
Break
To go down, in terms of temperature, indicating that the most dangerous part of the illness has passed.
Susan's fever broke at about 3 AM, and the doctor said the worst was over.
Break
To end.
The forecast says the hot weather will break by midweek.
Break
To begin or end.
We ran to find shelter before the storm broke.
Around midday the storm broke, and the afternoon was calm and sunny.
Break
To arrive.
Morning has broken.
The day broke crisp and clear.
Break
To render (a game) unchallenging by altering its rules or exploiting loopholes or weaknesses in them in a way that gives a player an unfair advantage.
Changing the rules to let white have three extra queens would break chess.
I broke the RPG by training every member of my party to cast fireballs as well as use swords.
Break
To stop, or to cause to stop, functioning properly or altogether.
On the hottest day of the year the refrigerator broke.
Did you two break the trolley by racing with it?
Break
To cause (some feature of a program or piece of software) to stop functioning properly; to cause a regression.
Adding 64-bit support broke backward compatibility with earlier versions.
Break
(transitive) To cause (a barrier) to no longer bar.
Break a seal
Break
(specifically) To cause the shell of (an egg) to crack, so that the inside (yolk) is accessible.
Break
(specifically) To open (a safe) without using the correct key, combination, or the like.
Break
(transitive) To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce.
The cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
Break
To collapse into surf, after arriving in shallow water.
Break
(intransitive) To burst forth; to make its way; to come into view.
Break
(intransitive) To interrupt or cease one's work or occupation temporarily; to go on break.
Let's break for lunch.
Break
(transitive) To interrupt (a fall) by inserting something so that the falling object does not (immediately) hit something else beneath.
He survived the jump out the window because the bushes below broke his fall.
Break
To disclose or make known an item of news, a band, etc.
The newsman wanted to break a big story, something that would make him famous.
I don't know how to break this to you, but your cat is not coming back.
When news of their divorce broke, ...
Break
To become audible suddenly.
Break
(transitive) To change a steady state abruptly.
His coughing broke the silence.
His turning on the lights broke the enchantment.
With the mood broken, what we had been doing seemed pretty silly.
Break
To (attempt to) disengage and flee to; to make a run for.
Break
To suddenly become.
Things began breaking bad for him when his parents died.
The arrest was standard, when suddenly the suspect broke ugly.
Break
To become deeper at puberty.
Break
To alter in type due to emotion or strain: in men, generally to go up, in women, sometimes to go down; to crack.
His voice breaks when he gets emotional.
Break
(transitive) To surpass or do better than (a specific number); to do better than (a record), setting a new record.
He broke the men's 100-meter record.
I can't believe she broke 3 under par!
The policeman broke sixty on a residential street in his hurry to catch the thief.
Break
:
Break
To win a game (against one's opponent) as receiver.
He needs to break serve to win the match.
Break
To make the first shot; to scatter the balls from the initial neat arrangement.
Is it your or my turn to break?
Break
To remove one of the two men on (a point).
Break
To demote; to reduce the military rank of.
Break
(transitive) To end (a connection); to disconnect.
The referee ordered the boxers to break the clinch.
The referee broke the boxers' clinch.
I couldn't hear a thing he was saying, so I broke the connection and called him back.
Break
To demulsify.
Break
To counter-attack.
Break
To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.
Break
(intransitive) To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.
Break
(transitive) To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of.
To break flax
Break
(transitive) To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.
Break
(intransitive) To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change gait.
To break into a run or gallop
Break
To fall out; to terminate friendship.
Break
To terminate the execution of a program before normal completion.
Break
To suspend the execution of a program during debugging so that the state of the program can be investigated.
Break
(computing) To cause, or allow the occurrence of, a line break.
Zero-width non-breaking space
Break
To B-boy; to breakdance.
Break
An instance of breaking something into two or more pieces.
The femur has a clean break and so should heal easily.
Break
A physical space that opens up in something or between two things.
The sun came out in a break in the clouds.
He waited minutes for a break in the traffic to cross the highway.
Break
A rest or pause, usually from work.
Let’s take a five-minute break.
Break
A time for students to talk or play between lessons.
Break
A scheduled interval of days or weeks between periods of school instruction; a holiday.
Winter break, spring break
Break
A short holiday.
A weekend break on the Isle of Wight
Break
A temporary split with a romantic partner.
I think we need a break.
Break
An interval or intermission between two parts of a performance, for example a theatre show, broadcast, or sports game.
Break
A significant change in circumstance, attitude, perception, or focus of attention.
Big break
Lucky break, bad break
Break
(finance) A sudden fall in prices on the stock exchange.
Break
The beginning (of the morning).
At the break of day
Break
An act of escaping.
Make a break for it, for the door
It was a clean break.
Prison break
Break
The separation between lines, paragraphs or pages of a written text.
Break
(computing) A keystroke or other signal that causes a program to terminate or suspend execution.
Break
(programming) breakpoint
Break
A change, particularly the end of a spell of persistent good or bad weather.
Break
:
Break
(tennis) A game won by the receiving player(s).
Break
The first shot in a game of billiards.
Break
(snooker) The number of points scored by one player in one visit to the table.
Break
(soccer) The counter-attack.
Break
(golf) The curve imparted to the ball's motion on the green due to slope or grass texture.
Break
(surfing) A place where waves break (that is, where waves pitch or spill forward creating white water).
The final break in the Greenmount area is Kirra Point.
Break
(horse racing) The start of a horse race.
Break
(dated) A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.
Break
(equitation) A sharp bit or snaffle.
Break
(music) A short section of music, often between verses, in which some performers stop while others continue.
The fiddle break was amazing; it was a pity the singer came back in on the wrong note.
Break
(music) The point in the musical scale at which a woodwind instrument is designed to overblow, that is, to move from its lower to its upper register.
Crossing the break smoothly is one of the first lessons the young clarinettist needs to master.
Break
(music) The transition area between a singer's vocal registers; the passaggio.
Break
An area along a river that features steep banks, bluffs, or gorges (e.g., Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, US).
Break
An error.
Break
(music) A section of extended repetition of the percussion break to a song, created by a hip-hop DJ as rhythmic dance music.
Break
To strain apart; to sever by fracture; to divide with violence; as, to break a rope or chain; to break a seal; to break an axle; to break rocks or coal; to break a lock.
Break
To lay open as by breaking; to divide; as, to break a package of goods.
Break
To lay open, as a purpose; to disclose, divulge, or communicate.
Katharine, break thy mind to me.
Break
To infringe or violate, as an obligation, law, or promise.
Out, out, hyena! these are thy wonted arts . . . To break all faith, all vows, deceive, betray.
Break
To interrupt; to destroy the continuity of; to dissolve or terminate; as, to break silence; to break one's sleep; to break one's journey.
Go, release them, Ariel;My charms I'll break, their senses I'll restore.
Break
To destroy the completeness of; to remove a part from; as, to break a set.
Break
To destroy the arrangement of; to throw into disorder; to pierce; as, the cavalry were not able to break the British squares.
Break
To shatter to pieces; to reduce to fragments.
The victim broke in pieces the musical instruments with which he had solaced the hours of captivity.
Break
To exchange for other money or currency of smaller denomination; as, to break a five dollar bill.
Break
To destroy the strength, firmness, or consistency of; as, to break flax.
Break
To weaken or impair, as health, spirit, or mind.
An old man, broken with the storms of state.
Break
To diminish the force of; to lessen the shock of, as a fall or blow.
I'll rather leap down first, and break your fall.
Break
To impart, as news or information; to broach; - with to, and often with a modified word implying some reserve; as, to break the news gently to the widow; to break a purpose cautiously to a friend.
Break
To tame; to reduce to subjection; to make tractable; to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle.
Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute?
Break
To destroy the financial credit of; to make bankrupt; to ruin.
With arts like these rich Matho, when he speaks,Attracts all fees, and little lawyers breaks.
Break
To destroy the official character and standing of; to cashier; to dismiss.
I see a great officer broken.
Break
To come apart or divide into two or more pieces, usually with suddenness and violence; to part; to burst asunder.
Break
To open spontaneously, or by pressure from within, as a bubble, a tumor, a seed vessel, a bag.
Else the bottle break, and the wine runneth out.
Break
To burst forth; to make its way; to come to view; to appear; to dawn.
The day begins to break, and night is fled.
And from the turf a fountain broke,and gurgled at our feet.
Break
To burst forth violently, as a storm.
The clouds are still above; and, while I speak,A second deluge o'er our head may break.
Break
To open up; to be scattered; to be dissipated; as, the clouds are breaking.
At length the darkness begins to break.
Break
To become weakened in constitution or faculties; to lose health or strength.
See how the dean begins to break;Poor gentleman! he droops apace.
Break
To be crushed, or overwhelmed with sorrow or grief; as, my heart is breaking.
Break
To fall in business; to become bankrupt.
He that puts all upon adventures doth oftentimes break, and come to poverty.
Break
To make an abrupt or sudden change; to change the gait; as, to break into a run or gallop.
Break
To fail in musical quality; as, a singer's voice breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.
Break
To fall out; to terminate friendship.
To break upon the score of danger or expense is to be mean and narrow-spirited.
Fear me not, man; I will not break away.
He had broken down almost at the outset.
This radiant from the circling crowd he broke.
Break
An opening made by fracture or disruption.
Break
An interruption of continuity; change of direction; as, a break in a wall; a break in the deck of a ship.
Break
An interruption; a pause; as, a break in friendship; a break in the conversation.
Break
An interruption in continuity in writing or printing, as where there is an omission, an unfilled line, etc.
All modern trash isSet forth with numerous breaks and dashes.
Break
The first appearing, as of light in the morning; the dawn; as, the break of day; the break of dawn.
Break
A large four-wheeled carriage, having a straight body and calash top, with the driver's seat in front and the footman's behind.
Break
See Commutator.
Break
Some abrupt occurrence that interrupts;
The telephone is an annoying interruption
There was a break in the action when a player was hurt
Break
An unexpected piece of good luck;
He finally got his big break
Break
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other;
They built it right over a geological fault
Break
A personal or social separation (as between opposing factions);
They hoped to avoid a break in relations
Break
A pause from doing something (as work);
We took a 10-minute break
He took time out to recuperate
Break
The act of breaking something;
The breakage was unavoidable
Break
A time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
Break
Breaking of hard tissue such as bone;
It was a nasty fracture
The break seems to have been caused by a fall
Break
The occurrence of breaking;
The break in the dam threatened the valley
Break
The opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool
Break
(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving;
He was up two breaks in the second set
Break
An act of delaying or interrupting the continuity;
It was presented without commercial breaks
Break
A sudden dash;
He made a break for the open door
Break
Any frame in which a bowler fails to make a strike or spare;
The break in the eighth frame cost him the match
Break
An escape from jail;
The breakout was carefully planned
Break
Terminate;
She interrupted her pregnancy
Break a lucky streak
Break the cycle of poverty
Break
Become separated into pieces or fragments;
The figurine broke
The freshly baked loaf fell apart
Break
Destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments;
He broke the glass plate
She broke the match
Break
Render inoperable or ineffective;
You broke the alarm clock when you took it apart!
Break
Ruin completely;
He busted my radio!
Break
Act in disregard of laws and rules;
Offend all laws of humanity
Violate the basic laws or human civilization
Break a law
Break
Move away or escape suddenly;
The horses broke from the stable
Three inmates broke jail
Nobody can break out--this prison is high security
Break
Scatter or part;
The clouds broke after the heavy downpour
Break
Force out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up;
Break into tears
Erupt in anger
Break
Prevent completion;
Stop the project
Break off the negociations
Break
Enter someone's property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act;
Someone broke in while I was on vacation
They broke into my car and stole my radio!
Break
Make submissive, obedient, or useful;
The horse was tough to break
I broke in the new intern
Break
Fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns;
This sentence violates the rules of syntax
Break
Surpass in excellence;
She bettered her own record
Break a record
Break
Make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret;
The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold
The actress won't reveal how old she is
Bring out the truth
He broke the news to her
Break
Come into being;
Light broke over the horizon
Voices broke in the air
Break
Stop operating or functioning;
The engine finally went
The car died on the road
The bus we travelled in broke down on the way to town
The coffee maker broke
The engine failed on the way to town
Her eyesight went after the accident
Break
Interrupt a continued activity;
She had broken with the traditional patterns
Break
Make a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing;
The ranks broke
Break
Curl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves;
The surf broke
Break
Lessen in force or effect;
Soften a shock
Break a fall
Break
Be broken in;
If the new teacher won't break, we'll add some stress
Break
Come to an end;
The heat wave finally broke yesterday
Break
Vary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity;
The flat plain was broken by tall mesas
Break
Cause to give up a habit;
She finally broke herself of smoking cigarettes
Break
Give up;
Break cigarette smoking
Break
Come forth or begin from a state of latency;
The first winter storm broke over New York
Break
Happen or take place;
Things have been breaking pretty well for us in the past few months
Break
Cause the failure or ruin of;
His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage
This play will either make or break the playwright
Break
Invalidate by judicial action;
The will was broken
Break
Discontinue an association or relation; go different ways;
The business partners broke over a tax question
The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
My friend and I split up
Break
Assign to a lower position; reduce in rank;
She was demoted because she always speaks up
He was broken down to Sargeant
Break
Reduce to bankruptcy;
My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
The slump in the financial markets smashed him
Break
Change directions suddenly
Break
Emerge from the surface of a body of water;
The whales broke
Break
Break down, literally or metaphorically;
The wall collapsed
The business collapsed
The dam broke
The roof collapsed
The wall gave in
The roof finally gave under the weight of the ice
Break
Do a break dance;
Kids were break-dancing at the street corner
Break
Exchange for smaller units of money;
I had to break a $100 bill just to buy the candy
Break
Destroy the completeness of a set of related items;
The book dealer would not break the set
Break
Make the opening shot that scatters the balls
Break
Separate from a clinch, in boxing;
The referee broke the boxers
Break
Go to pieces;
The lawn mower finally broke
The gears wore out
The old chair finally fell apart completely
Break
Break a piece from a whole;
Break a branch from a tree
Break
Become punctured or penetrated;
The skin broke
Break
Pierce or penetrate;
The blade broke her skin
Break
Be released or become known; of news;
News of her death broke in the morning
Break
Cease an action temporarily;
We pause for station identification
Let's break for lunch
Break
Interrupt the flow of current in;
Break a circuit
Break
Undergo breaking;
The simple vowels broke in many Germanic languages
Break
Find a flaw in;
Break an alibi
Break down a proof
Break
Find the solution or key to;
Break the code
Break
Change suddenly from one tone quality or register to another;
Her voice broke to a whisper when she started to talk about her children
Break
Happen;
Report the news as it develops
These political movements recrudesce from time to time
Break
Become fractured; break or crack on the surface only;
The glass cracked when it was heated
Break
Of the male voice in puberty;
His voice is breaking--he should no longer sing in the choir
Break
Fall sharply;
Stock prices broke
Break
Fracture a bone of;
I broke my foot while playing hockey
Break
Diminish or discontinue abruptly;
The patient's fever broke last night
Break
Weaken or destroy in spirit or body;
His resistance was broken
A man broken by the terrible experience of near-death
Common Curiosities
How does the cause of breaking differ from shattering?
Breaking can result from various causes including force, wear, and environmental factors, whereas shattering usually requires a sudden and forceful impact.
What does it mean to break something?
Breaking something means causing it to separate into two or more pieces, which may or may not imply complete destruction.
Is it possible to repair a shattered object?
Repairing a shattered object is often impossible or impractical due to the numerous small pieces and the extent of damage.
Can all materials shatter?
Not all materials can shatter; typically, only brittle materials like glass or brittle plastics are prone to shattering.
What are examples of things that typically break rather than shatter?
Wood and metal are examples of materials that typically break due to their malleability.
Can the term 'break' be used metaphorically?
Yes, 'break' can be used metaphorically to describe situations or emotions that are damaged or interrupted.
Is breaking always visible?
Not always; breaks can sometimes be internal or microscopic, especially in materials under stress.
What does shatter imply?
Shattering implies a violent break into many small pieces, often suggesting something is beyond repair.
What types of materials are most likely to shatter?
Brittle materials like glass and certain plastics are more likely to shatter.
How does shattering differ metaphorically from breaking?
Metaphorically, shattering suggests a deeper, often irreversible level of emotional or situational damage compared to breaking.
Can break and shatter be used interchangeably?
While related, they are not always interchangeable as shatter implies a more intense and thorough breaking.
Is a clean break the same as shattering?
No, a clean break refers to a smooth separation without extensive damage, whereas shattering results in many small fragments.
What does it mean when someone says their heart is shattered?
It means they are feeling profoundly hurt or devastated, often beyond what they feel is repairable.
Can something shatter without direct impact?
Typically, shattering requires a forceful impact, though certain conditions like extreme temperature changes can also cause brittle materials to shatter.
What is the difference in sound between something breaking and shattering?
Shattering often produces a louder, more distinct sound due to the many pieces and the energy released, compared to a simpler break.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
