break out
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See also: breakout
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb[edit]
break out (third-person singular simple present breaks out, present participle breaking out, simple past broke out, past participle broken out)
- (intransitive) To escape, especially forcefully or defiantly.
- They broke out of prison in the middle of the night.
- The brigade succeeded in breaking out of the pocket and reunited with friendly forces.
- (transitive, idiomatic) To bring out, use, or present.
- Break out the bubbly and celebrate.
- (transitive) To separate from a bundle.
- Break out the cables from the harness once they are inside the frame.
- (transitive) To take or force out by breaking.
- to break out a pane of glass
- (intransitive) To begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition.
- He broke out in sweat.
- He broke out in song.
- 1922, James Joyce, chapter 13, in Ulysses:
- The pretty lips pouted awhile but then she glanced up and broke out into a joyous little laugh which had in it all the freshness of a young May morning.
- (intransitive) To suddenly get pimples or a rash, especially on one's face.
- (recording industry, intransitive) Of a record: to achieve success.
- 1971, Billboard (volume 83, number 13, page 31)
- The record first happened a few years ago in Florida and had considerable sales. A year later, the record broke out again in Florida and again experienced considerable sales. Both times, it either made the chart or bubbled under.
- 2000, Billboard (volume 112, number 28, page 25)
- Avant will finish a radio tour this summer that includes a stop in Chicago, where the single broke out thanks to support from WGCI programmer Elroy Smith.
- 1971, Billboard (volume 83, number 13, page 31)
- (obsolete, New England) To remove snow from a road or sidewalk.
- 1895, Judkins, Brawn & Eaton, "Town Warrant" in 79th Annual Report of the Municipal Officers of the Town of Dexter (Maine), Bunker & Warren, page 6:
- Art. 24—To see what action the town will take in relation to breaking out highways and what portion of the road money, if any, shall be reserved for this purpose.
- 1895, Judkins, Brawn & Eaton, "Town Warrant" in 79th Annual Report of the Municipal Officers of the Town of Dexter (Maine), Bunker & Warren, page 6:
Synonyms[edit]
- (to separate from): sunder out
Translations[edit]
to escape, especially forcefully or defiantly
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to bring out, use, or present
to separate from a bundle
to take or force out by breaking
to begin suddenly; to emerge in a certain condition
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