break
/breɪk/8 phrasal verbsThe plain verb means to separate into pieces, or to stop being whole.
Every BREAK phrasal verb starts from one idea: something that was whole stops being whole. The particle tells you what kind of whole, and what happens to the pieces.
The pair learners mix up most is break up and break down. They are not variants of each other — they describe different failures. Break up splits a unit into separate parts: a couple, a band, a meeting, a fight. Break down means something stops functioning: a car, a negotiation, a person's composure. A couple breaks up; a car breaks down. Saying it the other way round is one of the most noticeable learner errors in English.
BREAK ends in /k/. Before a vowel-initial particle that /k/ jumps onto the particle — break up is “brea-kup”, one word. Before a consonant (break down, break through) the /k/ is held and never released: no puff of air, no gap.
Side by side
Every BREAK phrasal verb, with the one line that keeps it apart from its siblings. Tap any one to open it.
| Phrasal verb | Means | How to remember it |
|---|---|---|
| break upBoth4 meanings | a couple, band or group separates into parts | UP splits people APART — one thing becomes two. |
| break downBoth4 meanings | a machine, plan or person stops working | DOWN = collapse. One thing stops functioning. |
| break inBoth3 meanings | enter a building illegally; also, wear something new until it is comfortable | IN = you get inside, invited or not. |
| break outNo object3 meanings | escape from confinement; a war or rash starts suddenly | OUT = something gets loose. |
| break intoInseparable2 meanings | force entry into a specific place; suddenly start doing something | Same as break in, but INTO always names the place. |
| break throughBoth | get past a barrier that was holding you back | THROUGH = the obstacle is now behind you. |
| break offSeparable2 meanings | end something abruptly; snap a piece away | OFF = clean separation, often sudden. |
| break awayNo object | separate from a group or a controlling force | AWAY = you leave and keep going. |