verb
1. break off (a piece from a whole)
e.g. Her tooth chipped
Synonym: chipchip offcome offbreak off
2. move away or escape suddenly
e.g. The horses broke from the stable
Three inmates broke jail
Nobody can break out--this prison is high security
Synonym: breakbreak out
3. flee
take to one's heels
cut and run
e.g. If you see this man, run!
The burglars escaped before the police showed up
Synonym: scatrunscarperturn taillamrun awayhightail itbunkhead for the hillstake to the woodsescapefly the coop
4. withdraw from an organization or communion
e.g. After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away
Synonym: secedesplinter
5. interrupt a continued activity
e.g. She had broken with the traditional patterns
Synonym: break