Expressions

English Expressions, Idioms & Phrasal Verbs | Meanings, Examples & Usage

Phrasal-verb Communication

to share important or upsetting information with someone

"He had to break news to his editor about the source backing out."

Phrasal-verb Relationship

to end suddenly; to stop speaking or negotiating

"They broke off the engagement last month."

Phrasal-verb Relationship

to stop communicating suddenly or intentionally

"After the argument, they broke off communication for months."

Phrasal-verb International relations

to end official relations between countries

"The two nations decided to break off diplomatic ties after the border conflict."

Phrasal-verb Daily life

to pause or stop doing something temporarily

"She had to break off from studying to answer a call."

Phrasal-verb Diplomacy

to end diplomatic or political connections between countries

"The two nations decided to break off relations after the border dispute escalated."

Phrasal-verb Diplomacy

to stop discussions or negotiations suddenly

"The two countries decided to break off talks after repeated disagreements."

Phrasal-verb Mental control

to stop negative or anxious thoughts abruptly

"Whenever you start overthinking, break off thoughts and focus on something present."

Phrasal-verb Relationship

to end a relationship or stop communicating with someone

"After the big fight, she decided to break off with him for good."

Idiom Promise

to fail to keep a promise

"Don’t break your word; people rely on you."

Phrasal-verb Emotional release

to release repressed emotions or feelings

"The movie made me break open and finally cry."

Phrasal-verb Incident

to start suddenly (for war, fire, disease, etc.)

"A fire broke out in the kitchen last night."

Phrasal-verb Emotion

to suddenly start crying

"She broke out crying when she heard the sad news."

Phrasal-verb Health

to suddenly develop something on the skin (like a rash)

"He broke out in a rash after eating seafood."

Idiom Fear

to suddenly start sweating due to fear or anxiety

"He broke out in a cold sweat before his job interview."

Phrasal-verb Allergy

to suddenly develop a skin condition

"She broke out in a rash after eating seafood."

Phrasal-verb Emotion control

to free yourself from a negative emotional state

"He finally broke out of his depression after therapy."

Phrasal-verb Personal growth

to do something that is new or challenging for personal growth

"To grow as a person, you must break out of your comfort zone."

Phrasal-verb Self-liberation

to free yourself from self-doubt and lack of confidence

"She finally broke out of insecurity and started speaking publicly."

Phrasal-verb Growth

to overcome a barrier or limit; to move beyond something difficult

"You have to break past your fears to achieve real success."

Phrasal-verb Mindset

to overcome fear and take courageous action

"You can only grow when you break past fear and take risks."

Idiom Love

to make someone very sad, especially in love

"He broke her heart when he left her."

Idiom Money

to cost too much; to use up all your money

"Buying that car will break the bank."

Idiom Freedom

to free oneself from restrictions or limitations

"She wanted to break the chains of social expectations."

Idiom Advertising

to stand out in a crowded or competitive market

"A good tagline can help a brand break the clutter."

Idiom Problem

to end a situation in which progress is not possible

"They finally managed to break the deadlock through discussion."

Idiom Media

to address the audience directly in a play or film

"The actor broke the fourth wall to make the scene funnier."

Idiom Career

to overcome a barrier or limitation, particularly in career or personal advancement

"She was the first woman in the company to break the glass ceiling and become a senior manager."

Phrasal-verb Social interaction

to do or say something to make people feel more comfortable in a social situation

"He told a funny story to break the ice at the start of the event."

Idiom Internet

to cause an enormous amount of attention and discussion online

"The celebrity's new photo broke the internet."

Idiom Law

to commit an illegal act

"Anyone who breaks the law should be punished."

Idiom Innovation

to do something differently from tradition

"She broke the mold by becoming the first female CEO."

Phrasal-verb Communication

to tell someone important or shocking news

"He had to break the news about the accident to his parents."

Idiom Problem

to divide a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts

"Let's break the problem down into smaller steps."

Phrasal-verb Conversation

to start speaking after a period of silence or tension

"She finally broke the silence and told the truth."

Phrasal-verb Self-improvement

to overcome a barrier or limitation; to achieve personal progress

"He managed to break through his emotional walls and trust people again."

Phrasal-verb Motivation

to overcome difficulties or obstacles

"She broke through barriers to become a successful engineer."

Phrasal-verb Awareness

to overcome prejudices and unfair judgments

"Training programs help employees break through bias in hiring decisions."

Phrasal-verb Courage

to overcome strong emotional barriers like fear or anxiety

"He finally broke through his fear and spoke in public."

Phrasal-verb Resilience

to overcome emotional suffering or struggle

"She managed to break through pain and start a new chapter in life."

Phrasal-verb Communication

to make someone understand your emotions or point of view

"It took hours to finally break through to him and make him understand how I felt."

Phrasal-verb Climate

to divide into smaller parts; to disintegrate

"The ice caps are breaking up due to global warming."

Phrasal-verb Romance

to end a romantic relationship with someone

"He broke up with his girlfriend after three years of dating."

Idiom Culture

To do something in a different way from what is usually done

"The couple decided to break with tradition and have a small wedding on the beach."

Idiom Work

to work very hard to achieve something

"He’s been breaking his back to support his family."

Idiom International

To make an important new discovery or innovation; to do something that has never been done before.

"The new trade agreement is breaking new ground in international relations."

Idiom Media

New and important information being reported immediately

"We have breaking news about the election results."

Idiom International

to end a situation where no progress is being made

"The negotiation team succeeded in breaking the deadlock."

Idiom Discovery

a significant or sudden development or discovery; an important achievement

"The scientist made a major breakthrough in his research on cancer treatment."

Phrasal-verb Breathing

to use breathing techniques to release stress

"Take a few deep breaths to breathe away tension."