20 English Collocations with BREAK

Post author:Harry
Post last modified:10/02/2022
Post category:Useful English Collocations
Reading time:5 mins read

Here you will learn 20 English collocations with Break. british council learn english

First of all, let’s repeat quickly what is a collocation.

A collocation is a specific arrangement of words that has a certain meaning.

Are you ready to improve your English? So let’s get started.

Harry

Harry is a native English teacher with over 10 years of experience both online and in face-to-face lessons. With his extensive experience in business, he specialises in Business English lessons but happily teaches ESL students with any English learning needs.

20 ESL collocations with break

break into a run

to start running

Example: When Jenny saw her grandma, she broke into a run.

break a habit

to stop doing something that is a habit, particularly a bad habit or routine

Example: Sarah quit smoking two months ago, she broke a habit she’s had for more than half of her life.

break the bank

to cost a lot of money

Example: This dress is not on sale, but still only £25 full price so it won’t exactly break the bank.

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break even

to make neither a profit nor a loss

Example: The shop hadn’t made money since it reopened and we’ll be lucky to break even after it is sold.

break fresh ground

to discover something new in the area of knowledge

Example: His work broke fresh ground for performance art.

break ground with something

to make a start

Example: We’re hoping to break ground with brand-new technology.

break the ice

to say or do something that relaxes the atmosphere and make people more friendly towards each other

Example: Sam always knows how to break the ice and get people feeling relaxed.

break the ice idiom meaning

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break the news

to tell someone about something (usually bad) that has just happened which will affect them personally

Example: I crashed Dad’s car over the weekend but I haven’t broken the news to him yet.

break the spell

to spoil something, to bring something special to an end

Example: Our eyes met and my heart leapt. Then, she blinked and broke the spell.

break a bone

to have a fracture in your bone (arm, leg)

Example: She broke a bone in her hand when she fell off the horse.

20 ESL Collocations with Break

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break a record

to do something better or faster than it has been done before

Example: The new film has broken all the records at the box office.

break your heart

to say or to do something that makes someone feel very sad. To end a relationship with someone by telling them that you are not in love with them anymore

Example: He loved her, and she broke his heart by lying to him.

break the rules

to do something that is not allowed by the rules

Example: It’s simple, he broke the rules and should be punished accordingly.

english Collocations with break

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break a window

to make a crack in the window

Example: Somebody broke the window last night.

break the silence

to end a silent period by starting talking or making noise

Example: I broke the silence by saying something silly about the weather.

break in two

to break something in two parts

Example: She broke it in two and gave me half to eat.

break your back

to put a lot of effort into achieving something

Example: I was breaking my back doing this stinking job.

break the back of

to complete the hardest or main part of an exercise, project, assignment, etc

Example: Today, they finally broke the back of this tricky composition.

break your fall

to stop someone from falling down

Example: The falling man landed directly on top of the donkey, which broke his fall.

break a code

to figure out a secret code so that you are able to read the message

Example: We broke the secret code yesterday. By accident, almost.

Here are my 20 popular English collocations with ‘break’.

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