to (cause something to) separate suddenly or violently into two or more pieces, or to (cause…. To give up (a habit). To cause to give up a habit: They managed to break themselves of smoking. To train to obey; tame: The horse was difficult to break. Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like: to break a chair, a leg, a strap. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. BREAK definition: to smash, split, or divide into parts violently; reduce to pieces or fragments. See examples of break used in a sentence. break definition: separate into pieces by force. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "break down", "break off", "break up".