break one's word

verb

To break a promise one has made.

Similar
go back on one's wordbreak one's promiserenege on one's promise
Opposite
keep one's wordstay true to one's wordbe as good as one's worddeliver the goods
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbbreak one's word (third-person singular simple present breaks one's word, present participle breaking one's word, simple past broke one's word, past participle broken one's word)

present singular third person breaks one's word · participle present breaking one's word · past broke one's word · participle past broken one's word

  1. To break a promise one has made.

    Synonyms: go back on one's word, break one's promise, renege on one's promise · Antonyms: keep one's word, stay true to one's word, be as good as one's word, deliver the goods

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo break a promise one has made.

Similar
go back on one's wordbreak one's promiserenege on one's promise
Opposite
keep one's wordstay true to one's wordbe as good as one's worddeliver the goods
Also see
break one's promise

Translations

Finnish syödä sanansa
  • syödä sanansaTranslations
French manquer à sa parole
  • manquer à sa paroleTranslations
German sein Wort brechen / nicht halten
  • sein Wort brechen / nicht haltenTranslations
Hungarian megszegi a szavát
  • megszegi a szavátTranslations
Polish nie dotrzymywać słowa, nie dotrzymać słowa
  • nie dotrzymywać słowaTranslations
  • nie dotrzymać słowaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

break one's word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20one's%20word

MLA

“break one's word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20one's%20word. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “break one's word,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/break%20one's%20word.

Source: break one's word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.