break away

verb

To leave suddenly.

“A chunk of rock broke away from the cliff edge.”

Similar
breakbreak outchipchip offcome offbreak offsecedesplinter
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Meanings

verbbreak away (third-person singular simple present breaks away, present participle breaking away, simple past broke away, past participle broken away)

present singular third person breaks away · participle present breaking away · past broke away · participle past broken away

  1. To leave suddenly.

    She was brought up in a very religious household, but broke away from the church in her teens.

  2. To become separated, literally or figuratively.

    A chunk of rock broke away from the cliff edge.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmove away or escape suddenly

Similar
breakbreak out
Broader
escapeget awaybreak loose

verbbreak off (a piece from a whole)

Similar
chipchip offcome offbreak off
Broader
separatedividepart

verbinterrupt a continued activity

Similar
break
Broader
separatepartsplit up

verbwithdraw from an organization or communion

Similar
secedesplinter
Broader
separatepartsplit up

verbflee; take to one's heels; cut and run

Similar
scatrunscarperturn taillamrun awayhightail itbunkhead for the hillstake to the woodsescapefly the coop
Broader
leavego forthgo away
Also see
breakbreak offbreak outbunkchipcome offescapefly the coophead for the hillshightail itlamrunrun awayscarperscatsecedesplinterturn tail

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Esperanto forrompiĝi
  • forrompiĝito become separated
Finnish häipyä, hävitä
  • häipyäto leave suddenly
  • hävitäto leave suddenly
  • irrotato become separated
  • erotato become separated
  • joutua eroonto become separated
German ausbrechen, losmachen
  • ausbrechento leave suddenly
  • losmachento leave suddenly
  • lösento become separated
  • ablösento become separated
Japanese 脱却する
  • 脱却する (dakkyaku-suru)to become separated
Portuguese fugir, escapar
  • fugirto leave suddenly
  • escaparto leave suddenly
Cite this entry
APA

break away. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20away

MLA

“break away.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20away. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break away,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20away.

Source: break away on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.