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Glite Dictionary
prison-breaking

prison-breaking

9.1
An escape from prison done by force or secret planning
  • noun
translation icon : fuga de prisión
  • The gang spent months planning the prison-breaking that shocked the nation.

Examples

  • After the daring prison-breaking, the authorities launched a massive manhunt.

  • He was sentenced to five more years for his role in the prison-breaking.

  • The prison-breaking plan was carefully devised.

  • Many movies depict prison-breaking as an exciting adventure.

  • The notorious prison-breaking was orchestrated under the cover of darkness.

  • His successful prison-breaking made headlines across the country.

  • After the prison-breaking, the escapees were placed on the FBI's most wanted list.

Synonyms

escape
vsprison-breaking
320 1.1

An act of getting away from a place where you are kept or are in danger

is specific to leaving official confinement by force or stealth
breakout
vsprison-breaking
18 7.1

An escape from prison or jail that happens suddenly and often uses force

includes both sudden forceful and stealthy escapes
jailbreak
vsprison-breaking
5 7.3

A planned or forced escape from prison

is broader, also covering escapes done stealthily as well
prisonbreak
vsprison-breaking
4.8

An escape from prison by one or more people

is the hyphenated form of the same concept
gaolbreak
vsprison-breaking
  • Archaic
9.4

A planned escape from prison

is the same idea but represents an older spelling
jailbreaking
vsprison-breaking
8.0

An act of leaving prison illegally or helping others leave prison

focuses on the escape act itself, not on assisting others

How Violent

breakout
18 7.1
prison-breaking
9.1
escape
320 1.1

Surface Forms

prison-breaking singular
prison-breakings plural

Morphology

prison-breaking = prison + break (transparent) = prison + break + ing

Formed from the compound 'prison' + 'break' with the gerundive/nominalizing suffix '-ing', so learners who know the components can infer 'the act of escaping from prison'.

Etymology

Prison-breaking comes from the two parts prison and breaking; prison is 'a place where people are kept' and breaking is 'to break or force open'. So, prison-breaking is an image of breaking out of a locked place and therefore means 'escaping from prison', often by force or secret plan.