break·away
ˈbrā-kə-ˌwā 
1
a
: one that breaks away
b
: a departure from or rejection of something (such as a group or tradition)
2
a
: a play (as in hockey) in which an offensive player breaks free of the defenders and rushes toward the goal
b
: a sudden acceleration by one or more bicyclists pulling away from the pack in a race
3
: an object made to shatter or collapse under pressure or impact
1
: favoring independence from an affiliation : seceding
a breakaway faction formed a new party
2
: made to break, shatter, or bend easily
breakaway road signs for highway safety
3
a
: of, relating to, or resulting from a breakaway
a breakaway goal
b
: allowing or having an ability to execute a breakaway
breakaway speed
broke away; broken away; breaking away; breaks away
1
: to detach oneself especially from a group : get away
2
: to depart from former or accustomed ways
3
: to pull away with a burst of speed
Examples of breakaway in a Sentence
Adjective
A breakaway faction formed a new party.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
The Kings went up by 16 on a breakaway dunk by Keon Ellis early in the second quarter and stretched the lead to 18 on a 3-pointer by Monk.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Yevgeny Kuklychev
ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The floating shelves fragment and break away.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
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Noun
The goalie was again tested early in the middle frame when Wild captain Jared Spurgeon was stripped of the puck at the blue line, springing New Jersey star Jack Hughes on a breakaway.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
The Kings went up by 16 on a breakaway dunk by Keon Ellis early in the second quarter and stretched the lead to 18 on a 3-pointer by Monk.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Moscow has moved many of its vessels toward its Novorossiysk base, and satellite imagery indicates Russia is establishing another Black Sea base in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia.
—Yevgeny Kuklychev
ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
In 2008, Russia and Georgia went to war over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Verb
When Mitsuki breaks away to help Trevante and the others, Verna turns and fires, missing her by inches.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
The floating shelves fragment and break away.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakaway
Cite this Entry
“Breakaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakaway. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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