break
- noun
- /breɪk/
- Jargon
- The game turned when he finally achieved a break against the defending champion to take the lead.
Examples
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She took advantage of her opponent's error to win a crucial break in the second set.
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At the set break they had a big fight.
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Portland conceded 17 fast break points in the first half.
Blog text (18) -
Final set, tie break.
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During the match, he celebrated his break when he won a game while his opponent was serving.
Synonyms
A game one player wins while the opponent is serving
A game the player who is not serving wins in tennis
Idioms
To overcome barriers that stop women or minority groups getting higher jobs
- Informal
A sudden time when many people lose control and chaos starts
- Informal
To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow
A phrase that says hurt to the body is worse than insults and words do not hurt
Compounds
- Specialized
A smaller tax people or companies must pay to encourage certain activities
- Jargon
A quick attack where a team moves fast down the court to score before the defense sets up
Surface Forms
Etymology
Break comes from an old English word brecan meaning 'to interrupt' or 'to split'. In tennis a 'break' is when you stop your opponent's advantage by winning their serve, so you interrupt their control.