1
as in stopped
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ended
to come to an end
talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of broken off
Negotiations with the stadium operators, Legends Global, were broken off last week after multiple bargaining sessions failed to reach an agreement.
—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
At that point, Preston had divorced Gage and also broken off an engagement to fellow actor Charlie Sheen.
—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
The top of the column was broken off by vandals several years ago.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Beijing has broken off communication with Taiwan’s government, and in recent years, started sending warplanes and warships closer to the island in almost daily drills.
—
ABC News,
11 May 2026
The van was parked and unoccupied, and a key was broken off in the driver’s door lock, police said.
—
Cale Ahearn,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
It was found empty with a key broken off in the driver's side door lock, according to police.
—
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
The key had been broken off on the driver's side door.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
During meteor showers, Earthlings ooh and aah over bits of rock that have broken off comets or asteroids as the travel around the sun.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
At that point, Preston had divorced Gage and also broken off an engagement to fellow actor Charlie Sheen.
—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
The top of the column was broken off by vandals several years ago.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Beijing has broken off communication with Taiwan’s government, and in recent years, started sending warplanes and warships closer to the island in almost daily drills.
—
ABC News,
11 May 2026
The van was parked and unoccupied, and a key was broken off in the driver’s door lock, police said.
—
Cale Ahearn,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
It was found empty with a key broken off in the driver's side door lock, according to police.
—
Jt Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
The key had been broken off on the driver's side door.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
During meteor showers, Earthlings ooh and aah over bits of rock that have broken off comets or asteroids as the travel around the sun.
—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken off
Verb
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To the moon All the political developments of the last 24 hours have not stopped stocks, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting 53,000 for the first time ever.
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Not even the relentless defense chants summoned from the Sparks’ MCs stopped her.
Verb
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But the rally ended when Hernández’s liner up the middle landed in the glove of Rockies right-hander Jimmy Herget, who just entered the game, catching Kyle Tucker off first base for a double play.
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The decision was never formally confirmed in a plenary session before the conference ended.
Verb
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Kyle Stowers went 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBI and three runs for the Marlins, who halted a two-game slide.
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The third round was halted for about an hour because of a late storm.
Verb
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Royal courts ceased functioning throughout much of the colonies.
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Amazon Quarterly, a prominent lesbian literary arts journal, had ceased publication in 1975, and Ellenberger said there was a gap to fill.
Verb
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Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil facilities and military assets in recent weeks, seeking to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues and try to raise the political pressure on the Kremlin.
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Another method is to cut off oxygen to the fire by using a snuffing lid, then let the fire burn out naturally.
Verb
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King concluded that Saulter was in a conspiracy to get King removed from office, and directed Arriola to view recordings of other cameras in the office to determine who was entering the offices of Saulter and Goodloe.
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LeBron James's eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, though marked by an NBA championship and record-breaking achievements, concluded with his decision to depart.
Verb
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Utilities also recommend shutting off ACs and fans in homes if no one is there.
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In a later update, the department said the explosion occurred inside the electrical room after firefighters shut off power to the building.
Verb
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We’re certainly gone from the days of teams avoiding trading within the conference or, ha, the division.
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The search for machine consciousness has gone mainstream, and companies such as Google, Meta and OpenAI are hiring philosophers to explore questions about AI welfare.
Cite this Entry
“Broken off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20off. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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