Fixed expressions
Idioms
English fixed expressions — phrases whose meaning isn't obvious from the individual words. Each entry shows the meaning, an example sentence, and its register.
Idioms containing break, including its inflections. Clear word filter
break someone's heart
CEFR A2To make someone feel deep emotional pain, often by ending a relationship.
break a leg
CEFR B1A way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance.
break the ice
CEFR B1To do or say something that eases tension and gets people talking comfortably in an unfamiliar social situation.
all hell broke loose
CEFR B2a situation suddenly became extremely noisy, chaotic, or violent
Matching variant: All hell breaks loose
break cover
CEFR B2to stop concealing one's true position or intentions and make them known
break even
CEFR B2to reach the point where revenue equals costs — no profit, no loss
break new ground
CEFR B2to do something that has never been done before; to pioneer
break ranks
CEFR B2to openly depart from the shared position of one's own group
break the back of
CEFR B2to get past the main obstacle so that the remaining work becomes easier
break the bank
CEFR B2To cost so much that it uses up all your money.
break the mould
CEFR B2to do something new and different that sets a new standard
make or break
CEFR B2to be the single decisive factor between success and failure
the straw that broke the camel's back
CEFR B2the final small addition that makes a situation unbearable
move fast and break things
CEFR C1a philosophy of shipping quickly and accepting breakage in order to learn faster