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[break off]{v.} 1. To stop suddenly. •/The speaker was interrupted so often that he broke off and sat down./ •/When Bob came in, Jean broke off her talk with Linda and talked to Bob./ 2. {informal} To end a friendship or love. •/I hear that Tom and Alice have broken off./ •/She broke off with her best friend./

[break one’s balls]{v. phr.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To do something with maximum effort; to do something very difficult or taxing •/I’ve been breaking my balls to buy you this new color TV set and you aren’t the least bit appreciative!/ Compare: BREAK ONE’S NECK.

[break one’s heart]{v. phr.} To discourage greatly; make very sad or hopeless. •/His son’s disgrace broke his heart./ •/When Mr. White lost everything he had worked so hard for, it broke his heart./

[break one’s neck]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do all you possibly can; try your hardest. — Usually used with a limiting adverb or negative. •/John nearly broke his neck trying not to be late to school./ •/Mother asked Mary to go to the store when she was free, but not to break her neck over it./

[break one’s word]{v. phr.} To renege on a promise. •/When Jake broke his word that he would marry Sarah, she became very depressed./

[break out]{v.} 1. To begin showing a rash or other skin disorder. — Often used with "with". •/He broke out with scarlet fever./ 2. To speak or act suddenly and violently. •/He broke out laughing./ •/She broke out, "That is not so!"/ 3. To begin and become noticeable. •/Fire broke out after the earthquake./ •/War broke out in 1812./ Compare: FLARE UP. 4. {informal} To bring out; open and show. •/When word of the victory came, people began breaking out their flags./ •/When Mr. Carson’s first son was born, he broke out the cigars he had been saving./

[break the ice]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To conquer the first difficulties in starting a conversation, getting a party going, or making an acquaintance. •/To break the ice Ted spoke of his interest in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going./ •/Some people use an unusual thing, such as an unusual piece of jewelry, to break the ice./ 2. To be the first person or team to score in a game. •/The Wolves broke the ice with a touchdown./

[break the record]{v. phr.} To set or to establish a new mark or record. •/Algernon broke the record in both the pentathlon and the decathlon and took home two gold medals from the Olympics./

[break through]{v.} To be successful after overcoming a difficulty or bar to success. •/Dr. Salk failed many times but he finally broke through to find a successful polio vaccine./ •/Jim studied very hard this semester in college, and he finally broke through onto the Dean’s List for the first time./

[breakthrough]{n.} A point of sudden success after a long process of experimentation, trial and error. •/The U.S. Space Program experienced a major breakthrough when Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon in June of 1969./