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to brake

to brake

23 1.0
To make a moving vehicle slow down or stop by pressing a pedal
  • verb
  • /breɪk/
translation icon : frenar
  • The driver learned the hard way that it's important to brake well before a sharp curve.

But most interestingly, the throttle response and braking are very, very gradual and soft.

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Examples

  • The taxi swerved a little in the snow when it braked beside them.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • He didn't brake in time at a red light.

  • You never step on the gas and brake at the same time.

  • I know when to shift, when to gas, when to brake.

  • We followed, Edward driving, forgetting to brake until the last moment at every light.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • You gotta build in enough time to brake before chicane one.

  • No, you press the pedal to the left of it to brake.

  • Time stretches to a nightmarish crawl as John tries to brake to a stop.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Maria laughed and clung to the dash as I braked for a light.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Unexpectedly, Vernon braked, then took a sharp left onto a narrow paved road.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

to decelerate
vsto brake
10 5.5

To slow down

refers specifically to slowing or stopping a vehicle by its stopping system
to slam on the brakes
vsto brake
  • Informal
6 3.2

To press the foot pedal hard to stop a car suddenly

is the general act of slowing or stopping without sudden force

Antonyms

to accelerate
  • Specialized
331 3.7

To move faster or make something happen faster

Compounds

8 2.7

A hand brake that holds a parked car or stops it in an emergency

brake pad
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A flat piece in a car that presses the brake disc to slow or stop a wheel

brake light
  • Specialized
6 2.2

A red light at the back of a car that comes on when you press the pedal to stop

A lever or pedal that keeps a car from moving when you leave it

brake pedal
  • Specialized
3 2.0

A foot pedal you press to make a car slow down or stop

disk brake
  • Specialized
3 3.2

A round metal part beside a wheel that slows the wheel when pads press both sides

1 2.0

A control you pull to keep a parked car from moving

brake system
  • Specialized
1 2.7

A set of parts that make a vehicle like a car slow down or stop when you press the pedal

brake lining
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A layer of firm material on a wheel part that presses on metal to slow a car

drum brake
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A device that stops a vehicle wheel by pressing curved metal pieces inside a round drum

power brake
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A vehicle system that helps the driver stop with less force

brake drum
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A hollow round metal part on a wheel that brake shoes push against to stop the vehicle

brake failure
  • Specialized
1 3.9

When a vehicle's brakes do not work and it cannot stop

brake shoe
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A curved metal block inside a wheel that presses a drum to slow its spin

coaster brake
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A device on a bicycle that stops the wheel when you pedal backward

dive brake
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A small hinged flap or parachute on an aircraft that increases drag to slow descent

1 3.2

A pedal you press with your foot to slow a vehicle

brake band
  • Specialized
7.8

A strong flexible strip tightened around a drum or shaft to slow its turning

brake cylinder
  • Specialized
3.7

A part in a car's brake system that holds and pushes brake fluid to make the brakes work

brake disk
  • Specialized
3.3

A flat metal plate on a wheel that special pads press to slow the wheel

A train worker who operates and looks after the system that stops a train

9.9

An evergreen fern with long pointed leaves that grow in dense patches

9.9

A small fern that grows on rocks or cliffs

A small fern that grows on rocks in warm places

American rock brake
  • Specialized
9.9

A fern that grows on rocks in northern North America with fronds like parsley

flax brake
  • Archaic
9.9

A machine that separates the woody parts of flax stems from the fibers used to make linen

hydraulic brake
  • Specialized
4.1

A system that uses liquid pressure to push pads and stop a vehicle

6.3

A metal tube in a vehicle that holds fluid and uses a piston to stop the wheels

A small fern with dark shiny stems that grows on rocks

A small fern that grows on rocks

9.9

A large rough fern that grows in fields and looks like a weed

A car with a long back and a rear door used to carry people and things

9.9

A fern with delicate divided leaves often grown in shady gardens

How Hard

to slam on the brakes
  • Informal
6 3.2
to brake
23 1.0
to slow down
687 1.4
to ease off
9 4.0
to coast
26 2.5

Surface Forms

brake infinitive
braked past
braked past participle
braking present participle
brakes third person singular

Etymology

Brake comes from the idea of using a tool to press on a wheel to make it slow down, like putting a block against a moving wheel. So to brake is to make a vehicle 'slow down' or 'stop'.