break off

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

1. transitiveTo remove a piece from a whole by breaking or snapping.

   She unwrapped the slab of chocolate and broke off a piece.

   1 more example

   The bees came and found no one but the Woodman to sting, so they flew at him and broke off all their stings against the tin, without hurting the Woodman at all.

   1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC

2. intransitiveTo become detached by breaking or snapping.

   A chunk of rock broke off from the cliff face.

3. transitiveTo discontinue abruptly.

   Both families want the lovers to break off any relationship they may have.

   2 more examples

   When the yacht had passed the man resumed the conversation that her appearance had broken off.

   1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 101

   In fact I never said it; she eventually realised I was someone else, and broke off the conversation abruptly.

   2023 February 25, Tim Dowling, “Tim Dowling: I’m revisiting my worst ever moment on stage – a Christmas panto”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2023

4. intransitiveTo end abruptly, either temporarily or permanently.

   Our school doesn't break off until July.

   2 more examples

   Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.

   [1898], J[ohn] Meade Falkner, Moonfleet, London; Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934, →OCLC

   “[…]Because desire just cheats you. It's like a sunbeam skipping here and there about a room. It stops and gilds some inconsequential object, and we poor fools try to grasp it—but when we do the sunbeam moves on to something else, and you've got the inconsequential part, but the glitter that made you want it is gone—” He broke off uneasily.

   1922, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, “A Matter of Civilization”, in The Beautiful and Damned, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, book 3, page 341

5. ambitransitiveball gamesTo play the first shot in a frame of snooker, billiards or pool.

   Ted's opening line, when Steve broke off for the deciding frame, was, 'Last night we put our clocks back one hour. These two stars turned theirs back to April.'

   2017, John Virgo, Say Goodnight, JV - My Autobiography, John Blake Publishing, →ISBN

6. slangtransitiveAfrican-American VernacularTo give (someone) (something); to allow (someone) to take (something); to grant (someone) a share or portion of (something).

   If you help, I'll break you off a piece of the proceeds.