break

• break away

phrasal verb [I]
1 to escape from someone
2 to change what you have been doing because it limits your freedom, is boring etc:
?break away from: Duchamp wanted to break away from the old established traditions in art.

• break in
  

phrasal verb
1 [I] to enter a building using force to steal something:
?Thieves broke in during the night and took the hi-fi.
2 [I] to interrupt someone while they are speaking:
?The operator broke in saying, "You need another 75p to continue the call".

• break into sth

phrasal verb [T]
1 to enter a building using force to steal something:
?They broke into the room through the back window.
2 break into a run/dance etc to suddenly start running, dancing etc
3 to start being involved in doing something:
?American companies are trying to break into Eastern European markets.

• break off

phrasal verb
1 [T] to remove a piece from the main part of something:
?She broke off a piece of cheese.
2 [T] to end a relationship:
?The US has broken off diplomatic relations with Iran.
3 [I,T] to suddenly stop doing something or talking to someone

• break out

phrasal verb [I]
1 if a disease, fire, or war breaks out, it starts to happen:
?Nine months later, war broke out in Korea.
2 to escape from prison
3 break out in a sweat to start sweating (SWEAT)

• break through

phrasal verb
1 [T break through sth] to go through something, using force:
?Demonstrators tried to break through police lines.
2 [I,T] if the sun breaks through, you can see it through the clouds

• break up
  

phrasal verb
1 [T break sth <-> up] to separate something into smaller parts:
?One day his business empire will be broken up.
2 [I,T break sth <-> up] to break, or break something into small pieces:
?The ship broke up on the rocks.
?We used shovels to break up the soil.
3 [I] to end a relationship:
?Troy and I broke up last month.
4 [T] to stop people fighting, arguing etc
5 [I] if a meeting, party etc breaks up, it ends and people start to leave

• break with sb/sth

phrasal verb [T]
to end a relationship or association with someone or something