Learn daily English idioms with ‘break’ and transform your conversations. 14 natural expressions that will significantly enhance your English vocabulary and fluency. These powerful phrases, including “break the ice,” “break the bank,” and “break new ground,” are key to mastering advanced English.
By understanding and using these idioms, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively and sound like a native speaker in conversations.
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List of expressions
daily English idioms with break
Harry
What are we going to look at in this particular lesson? Well, we’re looking at expressions and idioms to do with the word ‘break.’ These useful English idioms and expressions will help you improve your vocabulary and fluency. We’ve got a lot of them.
There are 14 essential ‘break’ idioms, so I’ll go through them one by one and then I’ll give you some practical examples to understand their meanings and how you can use them in your daily English conversations.
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break the habit
Meaning: to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something bad or unhealthy
Examples:
I saw Jonathan last week. He broke the habit of smoking and started jogging instead.
I wish I didn’t wake up every morning at 5:30 a.m. It’s quite annoying. I want to break the habit.
break the bank
Meaning: to cost a lot of money or to spend more money than you can afford
Examples:
Going to the movies and having pizza won’t break the bank.
Let’s not break the bank on our new social media advertising campaign for the new product.
break even
Meaning: to neither make a profit nor incur a loss
Examples:
The business broke even in the first year, which was amazing considering we had a lot of setup costs.
We broke even this year, but we expect to make a small profit next year.
I really didn’t enjoy photography, but I was lucky to break even when I sold all the expensive equipment.
daily English idioms with break
break fresh ground
Meaning: to do something innovative or pioneering that hasn’t been done before
Examples:
Our local business plans to break fresh ground by offering unique, eco-friendly products.
Our company is set to break fresh ground by expanding overseas, entering markets we’ve never explored before.
break the ice
Meaning: to start a conversation and make people feel more comfortable
Examples:
When I met my in-laws for the first time, I told a funny story to break the ice.
When I went to talk about my appraisal, my boss started with some small talk to break the ice.
break the news
Meaning: to inform someone of something, usually something important or unexpected
Examples:
How will we break the news to Mum and Dad that you didn’t do well? Do you want me to do it?
During the management meeting, we planned how to break the news about the redundancies to the staff.
break the spell
Meaning: to end a captivating or distracting situation, returning to normal life or reality
Examples:
The thunderstorm on Tuesday will finally break the spell of the long, dry weather we’ve been experiencing.
Jessica hopes to break the spell of Tom’s bad influence on Mark by spending more time together.
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break your heart
Meaning: to cause intense emotional pain or sadness, usually from a breakup or a deep disappointment
Examples:
Emily just broke up with her boyfriend, and it really broke her heart.
After living in the house for so many years, moving away broke Sarah’s heart.
Retirement broke her heart because she loved her job so much.
break the rules
Meaning: to disobey or violate established guidelines or regulations
Examples:
John decided to break the rules by driving over the speed limit while going through town.
Sarah broke the rules by parking in a no-parking zone and got her car clamped.
break the silence
Meaning: to speak or make noise after a period of quiet or to address a previously unspoken topic
Examples:
The atmosphere in the room was tense until John broke the silence with a light-hearted comment.
The house was quiet after the kids’ argument, but Dad broke the silence by suggesting they all play a game together.
break in/into two
Meaning: to split or divide something into two separate parts
Examples:
She broke the chocolate bar in two and shared it with her friend.
To manage the project better, we decided to break the workload into two so each of us could handle a part.
We decided to break the work into two to make packing and moving easier.
daily English idioms with break
break your back
Meaning: to work extremely hard or put in a great deal of effort, often to the point of physical exhaustion
Examples:
I broke my back getting that project done, and my manager didn’t even acknowledge it.
I broke my back digging the garden all weekend, but it still doesn’t look the way I want.
break someone’s fall
Meaning: to lessen the impact when someone is falling, often by catching or cushioning them
Examples:
I was standing under the tree and was able to break my grandson’s fall when he slipped.
When I used to ski, I skied badly and would roll onto one side to break my fall.
break the mould
Meaning: to do something in a completely new way, different from what has been done before
Examples:
They broke the mould when they made him.
Emma broke the mould by starting an eco-friendly business in a traditional market.
Jane breaks the mould by always going out of her way to help others in unexpected ways.
So here are 14 daily English idioms with ‘break.’ They are advanced English. You won’t need to use them all. Perhaps you won’t understand them all, but you can try them. Pick a few and put them into sentences.
If you have any issues, please contact me at englishlessonviaskype.com Always happy to help you.
Thanks for watching. Thanks for listening. Join me again soon.
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more information
For more information on English grammar rules, English collocations and English idioms, check out the links below:
How to use prepositions IN ON AT correctly
You can always study English advanced level at Learning English with the BBC and British Council Learn English.
