phrasal verb · neutral
break off
UK/ˈbreɪk ˌɒf/US/ˈbreɪk ˌɔːf/BREAK·off
speakingtask2
to end or stop something suddenly (talks, negotiations, a relationship), or to detach a part physically.
Examples
“They broke off negotiations when they couldn't reach an agreement.”
“He broke off a piece of bread.”
“She broke off the engagement after discovering the truth.”
Band 8 sentence
“Talks between the two countries were tense and eventually broke off without any agreement.”
Collocations
- break off negotiations
- break off an engagement
Word family
break-off noun (rare)broke off verb (past)
Common mistakes
say 'stop the negotiation' as direct translation→break off negotiations
use 'break up' for formal talks→break off (more formal for talks/engagements)
Say it for a higher band
5stop→6call off→7+break off
Synonyms
call off
Easily confused
break up
“They decided to break up after five years together.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In break …
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