Master Phrasal Verbs with ‘Break’: Meanings and Examples

Welcome to our page all about phrasal verbs with “break”! Here, you’ll find a breakdown of common phrases like “break away”, “break down”, and more, along with easy-to-understand examples. Whether you’re brushing up on your English or learning something new, this guide will help you get the hang of these useful expressions in no time!

What does ‘break’ mean?

The word ‘break‘ can mean many different things. As a verb, the meaning is to separate (by accident or due to age) or interrupt.

For example:

My sister broke my toy car. (separate)
My lie-in was broken by a noisy cat. (interrupt)

Break is an irregular verb. The past tense is broke and the past participle is broken.

phrasal verbs with break

Phrasal verbs with ‘break’ include:

break away

meaning – separate from the group, escape
example – A wildebeest broke away from the herd and was killed by a pride of lions.

break down

meaning – start crying, when a machine stops working
example – Rachel broke down in tears when she found out that she had failed.

break into

meaning – force entry into a building, vehicle, or object
example – I’m going to break into my piggy bank and see how much money I’ve saved for my holiday.

Cartoon of a police officer investigating a broken shop window outside a store named "Jules' Jewels." The scene demonstrates the phrasal verb "break into," with a speech bubble and text explaining the meaning and usage of the phrase in context.

break out in something

meaning – develop a condition
example – I broke out in spots after trying a new face cream.

A cartoon-style lineup of six characters standing in front of height markers, with a police officer in the foreground. The officer says, "Number 04 has broken out in a cold sweat. He did it!" The image explains the phrasal verb "break out in" with the definition: "develop a condition," and an example sentence: "I broke out in spots after trying a new face cream."

break out

meaning – escape from somewhere
example – Spots have broken out all over my face since I tried a new face cream.

Cartoon image of a brick prison building with barred windows. A prisoner, wearing black-and-white stripes, is seen behind one of the bars, saying, "I can't take anymore! I'm breaking out." The image highlights the phrasal verb "break out" with the meaning "escape from somewhere" and an example sentence: "Spots have broken out all over my face since I tried a new face cream."

break something down

meaning – divide into smaller parts
example – Let`s break the contract down into smaller parts so it doesn’t seem so scary.

A person with curly red hair talks to a colleague at an office desk stacked with invoices. The speech bubble reads, "You can break the invoices down; they don't have to be done until March." In the background, tall city buildings are visible through the windows. A green text box at the bottom explains the phrasal verb: break something down means to divide something into smaller parts, with the example sentence, "Let’s break the contract down into smaller parts so it doesn’t seem so scary.

break up

meaning – end a relationship with someone, separate into smaller pieces
example – Can you break up the chocolate into squares? It`ll melt faster.

A sad girl says, "We’ve broken up again," while another woman in the room reassures her, saying, "I’m sure you’ll be back together next week."

You can download a table of phrasal verbs with break below.

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Click the links below to learn more phrasal verbs with pictures of go to the main phrasal verbs groups page to see the full list.

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