AAAmerican Accent US

break away

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: break AWAY. Saying “BREAK away” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “break” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “break away” is said “brea-kaway”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.

What it means

  1. To separate from a group or a controlling influence.

    • “A faction broke away and formed its own party.”
    • “She broke away from her family's expectations and moved abroad.”

    Similar: split off, secede

The particle logic

away

Something moves off, vanishes, or keeps going steadily.

Listen + practice

Hear “break away” spoken naturally

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Read the sentence aloud. Keep the stress on the particle and run the two words together — we’ll score every sound and flag what to work on.

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More BREAK phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

break down

(Of a machine or vehicle) to stop working.

break up

To end a romantic relationship.

break in

To enter a building illegally, usually by force.

break out

To escape from a place of confinement.

break into

To enter a specific place by force.

break through

To force a way past an obstacle or barrier.

break off

To end something abruptly.

break away — meaning, examples & how to say it