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to break off
01
to use force to separate one thing from another
Transitive: to break off sth
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
off
Base verb
break
Present tense
break off
3rd person singular
breaks off
Present participle
breaking off
Past simple
broke off
Past participle
broken off
Examples
The sculptor broke off a chunk of clay for shaping.
02
to become separated from a larger entity
Intransitive
Examples
The tree branch broke off in the strong wind.
03
to suddenly stop an activity or an action
Transitive: to break off an activity or action
Examples
The organization had to break off the event due to unforeseen circumstances.
04
to stop speaking or end a conversation suddenly
Intransitive
Examples
The speaker broke off, suppressing a laugh.
05
to end a romantic or personal relationship suddenly
Transitive: to break off a relationship
Examples
She decided to break the engagement off due to irreconcilable differences.
