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“Brake” or “Break”

brake / break are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

brake b·r·EY·k

  • nouna restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle.
  • nounany of various ferns of the genus Pteris having pinnately compound leaves and including several popular houseplants.
  • nounan area thickly overgrown usually with one kind of plant.
  • nounanything that slows or hinders a process.
  • verbstop travelling by applying a brake.
  • verbcause to stop by applying the brakes.

break b·r·EY·k

  • nounan unexpected piece of good luck.
  • nounthe occurrence of breaking.
  • nounan abrupt change in the tone or register of the voice (as at puberty or due to emotion).
  • nounthe opening shot that scatters the balls in billiards or pool.
  • noun(tennis) a score consisting of winning a game when your opponent was serving.
  • nounan act of delaying or interrupting the continuity.
  • nouna sudden dash.
  • nounan escape from jail.
  • verbbecome separated into pieces or fragments.
  • verbrender inoperable or ineffective.
  • verbruin completely.
  • verbdestroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments.
  • verbmove away or escape suddenly.
  • verbscatter or part.
  • verbforce out or release suddenly and often violently something pent up.
  • verbprevent completion.
  • verbcome into being.
  • verbinterrupt a continued activity.
  • verbmake a rupture in the ranks of the enemy or one's own by quitting or fleeing.
  • verbcurl over and fall apart in surf or foam, of waves.
  • verbbe broken in.
  • verbcome to an end.
  • verbvary or interrupt a uniformity or continuity.
  • verbcause to give up a habit.
  • verbgive up.
  • verbcome forth or begin from a state of latency.
  • verbhappen or take place.
  • verbcause the failure or ruin of.
  • verbinvalidate by judicial action.
  • verbchange directions suddenly.
  • verbemerge from the surface of a body of water.
  • verbexchange for smaller units of money.
  • verbdestroy the completeness of a set of related items.
  • verbmake the opening shot that scatters the balls.
  • verbseparate from a clinch, in boxing.
  • verbgo to pieces.
  • verbbreak a piece from a whole.
  • verbbecome punctured or penetrated.
  • verbpierce or penetrate.
  • verbbe released or become known; of news.
  • verbinterrupt the flow of current in.
  • verbundergo breaking.
  • verbfind a flaw in.
  • verbfind the solution or key to.
  • verbchange suddenly from one tone quality or register to another.
  • verbhappen.
  • verbcrack; of the male voice in puberty.
  • verbfall sharply.
  • verbdiminish or discontinue abruptly.
  • verbweaken or destroy in spirit or body.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“brake”

  • When the driver releases the brake pedal, the K2 clutch pack…
  • …left leads into the mid-course brake run.
  • The front brake disks of the XTZ are…
  • …the Llanddulas stationmaster, therefore, the brake van and last six wagons…
  • The brake van's brake had been broken…
  • …ride concludes with a final brake run and a short path…
  • …did not have their own brakes applied, and so were held…
  • …on May 27, 1919.1918 Hydraulic brake The hydraulic brake is an…
  • The exit from the mid-course brake run drops down directly into…
  • …founded the Parker Pneumatic Truck Brake company in 1918, which later…

“break”

  • …finisher is the Kyurenoh Meteor Break.
  • …validity (it is said to "break down"), but is then often…
  • …long-form newscasts during local commercial break inserts shown within network and…
  • …the and the Triple Meteor Break alongside Kyurenoh and Ryuteioh.
  • disaggregation and deflocculation to break up the elements of the…
  • …sport where participants attempt to break clay disks flung into the…
  • …finisher is the Ryuteioh Meteor Break.
  • …the four components necessary to break Jark Matter's powerful barrier protecting…
  • …the four components necessary to break Jark Matter's powerful barrier protecting…
  • …is the Super Kyurenoh Final Break.

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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