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to break free from

to break free from

11 4.1
To escape limits or control and become independent
  • phrasal verb
  • /breɪk friː frʌm/
translation icon : liberarse de
  • After years of feeling trapped, she finally decided to break free from her toxic relationship.
  • break free from
  • attempt to break free from
  • broke free from the strict confines

And so they don't, they don't learn to break free from the mould.

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Examples

  • My hope for her is that she is able to break free from her past.

  • And in this book, Doctor Deloney walks you through six daily choices to recognize and break free from a life that's spinning out of control.

  • Took me quite a while to break free from your spell.

  • And he said something along the lines of, he wanted to break free from his family, wanted to seek a sense of adventure.

  • So after all that, then how did you manage to break free from Saint William's?

  • What if you could break free from that cycle and really stay calm no matter what life throws at you?

  • But to do that, we must break free from the petty politics of the past.

  • No, I had a stable childhood but with an underlying desire to break free from control or authority.

  • Richard's mission was to help you play and break free from this vicious cycle that society has created for us.

  • I am a 28-year-old woman with the goal of breaking free from the 9-to-5 mold.

    Blog text (2)

Synonyms

to escape
vsto break free from
1.0

To get away from a place where you are kept or are in danger

implies leaving limits to become independent rather than merely avoiding danger
to release
vsto break free from
1.8

To let someone or something go free from being held

focuses on lasting independence rather than a single act of letting go
to free
vsto break free from
337 1.0

To release someone or something that is held

emphasizes becoming independent and unrestrained from limits or control
to set free
vsto break free from
218 2.7

To let a person or animal go after keeping them in a place where they could not leave

aims at achieving independence and escape from external control
to get away
vsto break free from
165 3.0

To escape from people who are holding you, often by force

focuses on gaining full independence rather than a temporary escape
to escape from
vsto break free from
137 2.7

To get away from a person, place, or situation that causes trouble

is about freeing oneself from control or limits, not only fleeing pursuit
to liberate
vsto break free from
104 4.3

Set someone free from prison or unfair control

focuses on escaping limits to become independent and unrestrained
to run away
vsto break free from
93 1.1

To become difficult to control or stop, for example prices

focuses on gaining independence and escaping restriction rather than becoming uncontrollable
to break out
vsto break free from
51 3.6

To get free quickly from a place or situation, often from captivity

describes escaping limits to become unrestrained and independent
to emancipate
vsto break free from
  • Formal
23 7.0

To set someone free from unfair control or rules so they have equal rights

covers becoming independent in general life rather than legal or political change
to extricate
vsto break free from
22 7.6

Free a person or thing from something that traps them

is aimed at achieving independence from restrictions rather than resolving complexity
to cut loose
vsto break free from
  • Informal
18 4.4

To have fun and act without control, or to remove someone from their job

is about escaping restrictions to gain independence, not only permissive release
to untangle
vsto break free from
12 4.9

To free someone from a difficult or confusing situation

stresses gaining independence from rules or control, not just solving problems
to break loose
vsto break free from
8 3.9

To force yourself free from a place or person

is about gaining independence, not just violent sudden escape
to unchain
vsto break free from
6 4.1

Remove chains and other things that hold someone so they are free

seeks wider independence beyond removing physical binding or chains
to unshackle
vsto break free from
5 6.5

Free someone or something from limits and control

focuses on becoming independent and unrestrained from external control
to break away
vsto break free from
5 3.6

To escape suddenly from control, capture, or a group

describes a broader escape toward lasting independence rather than only separation
to disentangle
vsto break free from
3 5.8

To free a person or thing from a difficult situation

focuses on escaping control and limits, not only untangling complexity
to untether
vsto break free from
1 6.2

To free someone or something from limits so they can act more freely

aims at gaining full independence from control and limitations
to disenthrall
vsto break free from
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To free someone from control or false ideas

focuses on physical independence and removal of external limits
to cast loose
vsto break free from
1 6.7

To free something by letting go of ties or limits

means becoming independent from limits and control rather than only unfastening ties
to kick loose
vsto break free from
  • Informal
8.1

To free yourself from a promise or duty that controls your life

describes broader independence from control rather than just leaving a duty

Antonyms

187 4.1

To accept another person's control, often against your wishes

How Free

to break free from
11 4.1
to escape
1.0
to constrain
64 5.6

Surface Forms

break free from infinitive
breaking free from present participle
breaks free from third person singular
broken free from past participle

Morphology

break + free + from

The meaning 'to escape from limitations or control' is directly derivable from combining 'break' (to break away/escape) with 'free' (unrestrained) and the preposition 'from' (indicating source). This verb + adjective + preposition composition is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Break free from shows a simple image: imagine someone snapping chains to get out of a cage, so they break what holds them and are free. So to break free from someone or something means 'to escape control' or 'become independent'.