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🚩 To leave a group 🔄 To change habits 🏃 To escape 🧩 To detach
to break away

to break away

30 4.1
To leave an organization and form a separate group
  • phrasal verb
  • /breɪk əˈweɪ/
translation icon : separarse de
  • Ethnic Albanians are now in command, and they are adamant about breaking away from Serbia.
  • break away from a group
  • break away from the church
  • break away from China

OK, so but the Mennonite broke away from the Amish.

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Examples

  • As the Yugoslav republics of Croatia and Bosnia broke away in the '90s, their Serb minorities revolted.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Another Afrikaans-speaking church that broke away from the NGK in the 1980s is the Afrikaanse Protestantse Kerk.

    Academic text (1996)

  • What was the process of breaking away from the group?

  • And a lot of the kids grew up and decided to like break away from that kind of thing.

  • Then she broke away to have more freedom in a small company.

    Assassins' Code (2011)

  • Let him try to break away.

    Ruby Gentry (1952)

  • So maybe they felt that they need to break away somehow from that.

  • They had to break away from the people who live normal lives.

  • In 1861, West Virginia broke away from Virginia and chose to remain in the Union.

    Academic text (2017)

  • In 1861, West Virginia chose to break away from Virginia to join the Union.

Synonyms

to leave
vsto break away
∞ 1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

usually stresses creating a separate group after withdrawal rather than simple absence
to split
vsto break away
575 2.3

End a relationship or go separate ways

involves individuals withdrawing to form a separate new group rather than a collective division
to separate
vsto break away
481 2.9

To move apart or stop being together

is more specific about leaving an organization to form a distinct group
to withdraw
vsto break away
466 2.8

To stop taking part in a place or activity

often implies leaving to form a distinct separate group rather than mere reduced involvement
to pull out
vsto break away
206 3.4

To stop being involved in an activity or agreement

often implies forming a new independent group rather than only stopping participation
to depart
vsto break away
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

focuses on leaving to form a separate group rather than starting a journey
to pull away
vsto break away
86 3.5

To move away from people or a place to create space

usually implies a gradual distancing rather than an organized group split
to disengage
vsto break away
82 5.3

To stop being part of or connected to something

usually means withdraw from an organization to form a new group, not release
to pull out of
vsto break away
79 3.2

Leave an activity or agreement you had joined

is used more for leaving to form a separate organization rather than stopping participation
to secede
vsto break away
  • Formal
34 8.5

To leave a group or country and stop being part of it

is often less formal and not limited to legal processes
to break with
vsto break away
23 4.1

End a relationship with someone or something in a clear, final way

focuses on leaving to form a separate group rather than merely ending ties
to disassociate
vsto break away
16 7.0

To end a connection with a person, group, or idea

specifically involves withdrawing from an organization, often to form a separate group
to splinter
vsto break away
11 6.2

To leave a group and form a smaller, separate one often after disagreement

may happen without implying disagreement or internal conflict
to dissociate
vsto break away
3 6.7

To stop being involved with a person, group, or idea

emphasizes formal withdrawal to create a new group rather than just personal distancing
to disaffiliate
vsto break away
  • Formal
1 7.5

To stop being a member of a group or organization

can be an informal withdrawal that may lead to forming a separate group
to hive off
vsto break away
  • Jargon
8.0

To separate part of a company to make it an independent business

usually involves individual withdrawal to form a new separate group, not corporate split

Antonyms

to join
∞ 1.0

Become a member of a group or take part in its activities

to integrate
179 4.1

To join things or ideas so they form one whole

How Separate

to secede
  • Formal
34 8.5
to break away
30 4.1
to withdraw
466 2.8
to leave
∞ 1.0
to stay
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

break away infinitive
breaking away present participle
breaks away third person singular
broke away past
broken away past participle

Morphology

break + away

The meaning 'to separate or detach' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'break' (to cause something to separate) with 'away' (movement or separation to another location), so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning. This verb+particle composition is a common, compositional pattern in English (and mirrored in many languages), making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Break away may come from the picture of part of a group pulling off from the main body, like a small branch breaking from a tree or people leaving a crowd. That's why it means 'to leave' an organization and start a separate group.