breather

noun

ˈbrē-t͟hər How to pronounce breather (audio)
Definition of breathernext
as in pause
a momentary halt in an activity took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of breather If that occurs, the choppy action of the last few weeks could prove to be nothing more than a healthy breather before the next leg higher begins. — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 24 June 2026 The door handle was rearranged in order to accommodate the bigger breathers, and one resulting tradeoff is the awkward need to push with one hand while using another to open the door. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 Teng gets a ‘breather’ The Astros demoted Kai-Wei Teng to Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026 Catalina Island is the perfect place to take a breather, just over an hour by ferry from the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, among departure points along the SoCal coast. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for breather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breather
  1. pause
  2. lull
  3. breath
  4. break
Noun
  • The stock has eased slightly since then to around $171, a normal pause after such a steep run, and the level to watch is whether that old $130 breakout zone holds if the pullback extends.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • Packages flow directly from dock doors into scanning, identification and stacking—with no pauses, no handoffs and no redesigns.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of pause
Noun
  • But just when there seemed to be a lull in all things Taylor-Travis, the couple hit some major milestones.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Getty Images There are lulls on the PGA Tour calendar, and this is one of those heading into the John Deere Classic this weekend.
    — Jeff Hartman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of lull
Noun
  • During the match, Williams took a crucial deep breath, visibly calming herself.
    — Kevin Kruse, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Fitness coach and content creator Tom Trotter told Vogue that showing up sweaty and out of breath forces people to drop the act.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026
Definition of breath
Noun
  • Mauney, widely seen as the best rider of his generation and someone who braved the hardest bulls to ride, had to retire in 2023 after a neck break on a bull called Arctic Assassin.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes might pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star break, which would make Sánchez a logical choice.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of break

Browse Nearby Words

breathe (out)
breather
breathers
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Cite this Entry

“Breather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breather. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on breather

Nglish: Translation of breather for Spanish Speakers

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