| Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. 1995. |
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| NOUN: | 1. An interruption in friendly relations: alienation, breach, disaffection, estrangement, fissure, rent2, rift, rupture, schism, split. See ASSEMBLE, HELP. 2. An opening, especially in a solid structure: breach, gap, hole, perforation, rupture. See OPEN. 3. A cessation of continuity or regularity: discontinuance, discontinuation, discontinuity, disruption, interruption, pause, suspension. See CONTINUE. 4. A pause or interval, as from work or duty: intermission, recess, respite, rest1, time-out. Informal : breather. See CONTINUE. 5. A usually narrow partial opening caused by splitting and rupture: chink, cleavage, cleft, crack, crevice, fissure, rift, split. See OPEN. 6. The act or an instance of escaping, as from confinement or difficulty: breakout, decampment, escape, escapement, flight, getaway. Slang : lam. See FREE. 7. An interval during which continuity is suspended: gap, hiatus, interim, lacuna, void. See CONTINUE. 8. A favorable or advantageous combination of circumstances: chance, occasion, opening, opportunity. Informal : shot. See LUCK. | | VERB: | 1. To make a hole or other opening in. Also used with through: breach, gap, hole, perforate, pierce, puncture. See OPEN. 2. To crack or split into two or more fragments by means of or as a result of force, a blow, or strain: fracture, rift, rive, shatter, shiver2, smash, splinter, sunder. See HELP. 3. To desist from, cease, or discontinue (a habit, for example): cut out, give up, leave off, stop. Slang : kick. See CONTINUE. 4. To find the key to (a code, for example): crack, decipher, decrypt, puzzle out. See KNOWLEDGE. 5. To give way mentally and emotionally. Also used with down: collapse, crack, snap. Informal : crack up, fold. See EXPLOSION. 6. To impair severely something such as the spirit, health, or effectiveness of: crush, destroy, overwhelm, ruin. See HELP. 7. To interrupt regular activity for a short period: recess. Idioms: take a break, take a breather, take five (or ten) . See CONTINUE. 8. To make or become unusable or inoperative: fail, ruin. Slang : bust. See HELP. 9. To suddenly lose all health or strength. Also used with down: cave in, collapse, crack, drop, give out, succumb. Informal : crack up. Slang : conk out. Idioms: give way. See HEALTH. 10. To undergo sudden financial failure: bust, collapse, crash, fail, go under. Informal : fold. Idioms: go belly up, go bust, go on the rocks, go to the wall. See MONEY. 11. To be made public: come out, get out, out, transpire. Informal : leak (out). Idioms: come to light. See KNOWLEDGE, SHOW. 12. To make known: carry, communicate, convey, disclose, get across, impart, pass, report, tell, transmit. See KNOWLEDGE. 13. To lower in rank or grade: bump, degrade, demote, downgrade, reduce. Slang : bust. See RISE. 14. To refuse or fail to obey: defy, disobey, flout, transgress, violate. Idioms: pay no attention to. See RESIST. 15. To become or cause to become apart one from another: detach, disjoin, disjoint, disunite, divide, divorce, part, separate, split (up). Idioms: part company, set at odds. See ASSEMBLE. 16. To make (an animal) docile: bust, gentle, master, tame. See WILD. 17. To pass into or through by overcoming resistance. Also used with through: enter, penetrate, perforate, pierce, puncture. See ENTER. 18. To reduce to financial insolvency: bankrupt, bust, impoverish, pauperize, ruin. Slang : clean out. See MONEY. 19. To fail to fulfill (a promise) or conform to (a regulation): breach, contravene, infringe, transgress, violate. See DO. | | PHRASAL VERB: | break down To separate into parts for study: analyze, anatomize, dissect, resolve. See ASSEMBLE, INVESTIGATE. break down 1. To reduce or become reduced to pieces or components: break up, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, fragmentize. See CONTINUE, HELP. 2. To become or cause to become rotten or unsound: decay, decompose, deteriorate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, rot, spoil, taint, turn. Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed. See BETTER, THRIVE. 3. To cause the complete ruin or wreckage of: bankrupt, cross up, demolish, destroy, finish, ruin, shatter, sink, smash, spoil, torpedo, undo, wash up, wrack2, wreck. Slang : total. Idioms: put the kibosh on. See HELP. 4. To cease functioning properly: fail, give out. Slang : conk out. See THRIVE. 5. To take (something) apart: disassemble, dismantle, dismount, take down. See ASSEMBLE. break in 1. To enter forcibly or illegally: burglarize. Law : trespass. See CRIMES, ENTER. 2. To interject remarks or questions into another's discourse: chime in, chip in, cut in, interrupt. See CONTINUE. break off 1. To cease trying to accomplish or continue: abandon, desist, discontinue, give up, leave off, quit, relinquish, remit, stop. Informal : swear off. Slang : lay off. Idioms: call it a day, call it quits, hang up one's fiddle, have done with, throw in the towel. See CONTINUE. 2. To terminate a relationship or an association by or as if by leaving one another: break up, part, separate. Informal : split (up). Idioms: call it quits, come to a parting of the ways, part company. See ASSEMBLE, CONTINUE. 3. To stop suddenly, as a conversation, activity, or relationship: cease, discontinue, interrupt, suspend, terminate. See CONTINUE. break out 1. To become manifest suddenly and in full force: burst (forth or out), erupt, explode, flare (up). See EXPLOSION, START. 2. To break loose and leave suddenly, as from confinement or from a difficult or threatening situation: abscond, decamp, escape, flee, fly, get away, run away. Informal : skip (out). Slang : lam. Regional : absquatulate. Idioms: blow (or fly) the coop, cut and run, give someone the slip, make a getaway, take flight, take it on the lam. See FREE. break up 1. To reduce or become reduced to pieces or components: break down, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, dissolve, fragment, fragmentize. See CONTINUE, HELP. 2. Informal. To express great amusement or mirth: guffaw, roar. Slang : howl. See LAUGHTER. 3. To make a division into parts, sections, or branches: dissever, divide, part, partition, section, segment, separate. See ASSEMBLE, PART. 4. To terminate a relationship or an association by or as if by leaving one another: break off, part, separate. Informal : split (up). Idioms: call it quits, come to a parting of the ways, part company. See ASSEMBLE, CONTINUE.
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| Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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