phrasal verb / informal idiom · informal
give someone a break
/ɡɪv ˈsʌm.wʌn ə breɪk/give·some·one·a·BREAK
to stop criticizing someone or to give someone an opportunity/short rest
Examples
“Come on, give him a break — he was late because of the traffic.”
“After a busy term, the students need a break from studying.”
“Could you give me a break and let me explain?”
Band 8 sentence
“He made a small mistake; honestly, you should give him a break and explain patiently.”
Collocations
- give someone a break about something
- give someone a break from work
Word family
Common mistakes
Give him a break, he is busy.→Give him a break; he is busy.
Please give me break.→Please give me a break.
Say it for a higher band
5let him go→6cut someone some slack→7+give someone a break
Synonyms
cut someone some slack
show leniency
Easily confused
cut someone some slack
“Try to cut him some slack; he's new to the job.”
give someone a hand
“Could you give me a hand with these boxes?”
Related words
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