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break away

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break away

 (from someone) and break free (from someone); break loose (from someone)

1. Lit. to get free of the physical hold of someone. I tried to break away from him, but he was holding me too tight. She broke free from him, at last. I broke free from the intruder.

2. Fig. to sever a relationship with another person, especially the parent-child relationship. He found it hard to break away from his mother. She was almost thirty before she finally broke free.

See also: away, break

break something away (from something)

to break a part or piece of something away from the whole. She broke a bit away and popped it into her mouth. Todd broke away a piece from the bar of candy.

See also: away, break

break away (from somebody/something)

1. to escape George's excited horse broke away and ran off into the field.

2. to separate from the control of someone or something Scotland isn't going to suddenly break away from the rest of Great Britain. We're trying to break away from the idea that men should not be affectionate with their children.

See also: away, break

break away

1. Leave hurriedly, escape, get loose. For example, The boy tried to break away, but his mother held onto his coat, or On the last lap the horse broke away from the pack. [First half of 1500s]

2. Sever connections with a group. For example, It was hard for me to break away from that organization, but I knew it was necessary.

3. Stop doing something, as in She broke away from work long enough to go out for lunch.

See also: away, break

break away

v.

1. To separate or detach something in order to clear a space: It was easier to dig through the snow once we had broken the icy crust away.

2. To separate or detach oneself: Our politics began to change, so we broke away from the political party we had belonged to. The ice on the shore began to break away once the weather got warmer.

3. To move rapidly away from or ahead of a group: The cyclist broke away from the pack and was soon very far ahead.

See also: away, break