Brake vs Break | Difference, Meaning & Examples
A break is a pause from an activity such as study or work, or the place where something splits or cracks (e.g., a break in a bone), while a brake is the part of a bicycle or car that makes it stop or go more slowly.
- Break and brake are pronounced in the same way (i.e., they are homophones).
- If you break something, you damage it in a way that means it no longer functions (e.g., “I’m always breaking my glasses by sitting on them”).
- Brake can also be used as a verb (e.g., “I had to brake hard to avoid hitting the car in front”).
- The verb break is an irregular verb (e.g., “I have broken the screen twice,” “I broke the screen yesterday”).
| Brake in a sentence | Break in a sentence |
|---|---|
| I need to get the brakes fixed on my bicycle. | Shall we take a ten-minute break? |
| The driving instructor told me not to brake so sharply. | The doctor said the break in my arm has healed well. |
| The car is making a strange noise when I brake. | Sorry, I broke your mug when I was doing the dishes. |
Break definition
If something breaks, it separates into two or more parts, often because it drops to the ground accidentally or is hit by something.
I told you not to put that plant pot on the wall; it fell off and broke.
The verb break is also used in a variety of more figurative senses, for instance:
- If you break something, you do something that means it stops functioning correctly.
- If you break a promise, you do or say something that you have promised not to do or say.
- If you break a law, you do something forbidden by that law.
Of course you broke the swing—it’s meant for children, not a 200-pound man!
The governor denies that he is breaking a promise to voters by cancelling the project.
The tech company claims it has not broken any privacy laws.
The noun break can mean “a short rest from doing an activity,” “a short vacation” as well as a “piece of good luck.”
My son’s coming home from college for spring break.
It doesn’t matter how talented you are; you always need a lucky break to be successful in show business.
Break out meaning
The phrasal verb break out has several meanings:
- In the context of “fire” and “war,” it means “start.”
- In the context of “jail or prison,” it means “escape.”
- “Break out in a rash” means to “suddenly have a rash,” and “break out in a sweat” means to “suddenly start sweating.”
War broke out on July 28 of the same year.
Billy the Kid broke out of the courthouse jail where he was awaiting execution.
I break out in a rash if I eat strawberries.
Break in meaning
The phrasal verb break in means to enter a building or home without permission, especially by breaking a door or window etc. and in order to steal things. Break-in is a noun used to describe an occasion when this happens.
Police believe that the break-in took place between 2 and 3 a.m. [Noun]
If you need to mention the building or home that was entered without permission, use the phrase break into.
| Break in in a sentence | Break into in a sentence |
|---|---|
| The burglar broke in through a side door. | The burglar broke into the office through a side door. |
| We can’t go into the office today because someone broke in, and they’re still clearing up. | We can’t go in because the office was broken into last night. |
The phrasal verb break in can also mean “interrupt a person who is speaking” and “wear new clothes or shoes for short periods only at first until they become comfortable.”
Person A: Why are you wearing hiking boots to go to the movies?
Person B: They’re new. I’m breaking them in before we go on vacation.
Frequently asked questions about brake vs break
- Is it lunch break or brake?
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The correct spelling is lunch break (not lunch brake).
Deciding whether to spell it brake or break can be tricky; a “brake” is a device in a vehicle that slows it down (e.g., “I need to take my car to the shop to get the brakes checked”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to avoid mixing up homophones like “brake” and “break” in your texts.
- What does break even mean?
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The phrase break even means to make neither a profit nor a loss.
A company is “breaking even” if its costs are equal to the money it gets from selling things. If you buy a car for $1,000 on Monday and sell it to someone for $1,000 on Tuesday, you have “broken even” on the transaction. If you go to a casino and bet $100 during the evening, but win a total of $100, you have “broken even” on your gambling.
On a related note, deciding if you should spell it brake or break can be tricky; the verb “brake” means to engage the system that slows a vehicle down (e.g., “I had to brake hard at the lights”).
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker? It will help you pick up errors in the use of homophones like “brake” and “break” in your texts.
- What does broken mean?
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The adjective broken means “split or cracked” or “not functioning correctly.” The word “broken” is also the past participle of the irregular verb “break.”
Broken in a sentence examples Be careful of the broken glass on the floor.I can’t make you toast because the toaster is broken.
Who’s broken the toaster?
On a related note, deciding if the word you need is brake or break is sometimes tricky because they are homophones; “brake” is the word you need if you’re referring to slowing down or stopping a car or bike etc.
If you’re looking for synonyms for “broken,” why not try QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to help you find alternatives that fit your specific context?
