phrasal verb / collocation · academic
break the cycle
/breɪk ðə ˈsaɪkəl/break·the·CY·cle
to stop a repeated sequence of events or behaviours, especially negative patterns passed down or repeated
Examples
“Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.”
“Intervention programs can help families break the cycle of domestic violence.”
“Successful policies must aim to break the cycle rather than treat symptoms.”
Band 8 sentence
“Comprehensive support — from early childhood education to job training — is essential if societies are to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.”
Collocations
- break the cycle of poverty
- break the cycle of abuse
- help someone break the cycle
Word family
Common mistakes
break cycle→break the cycle
stop the circle→break the cycle
Say it for a higher band
5stop repeating→6end the cycle→7+break the cycle
Synonyms
end the cycle
stop the cycle
Easily confused
end the cycle
“Policies that aim to end the cycle of poverty must be long‑term.”
perpetuate the cycle
“Poor education systems often perpetuate the cycle of inequality.”
Related words
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