Example
“Once we had cleaned the first thousand records, we had broken the back of the project.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
back against the wall
Informal · CEFR B1
in a desperate situation with few options left
circle back
Informal · CEFR B1
to return to a topic or person later, after other things have happened
break cover
Neutral · CEFR B2
to stop concealing one's true position or intentions and make them known
break even
Neutral · CEFR B2
to reach the point where revenue equals costs — no profit, no loss
break new ground
Neutral · CEFR B2
to do something that has never been done before; to pioneer
break ranks
Neutral · CEFR B2
to openly depart from the shared position of one's own group
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.