Break away
phrasal verb breaks away (3rd person singular), broke away (past simple), broken away (past participle), breaking away (present participle)
Definition
1. To escape from someone’s grip or control.
2. To separate from a group and move independently.
3. To leave an organization or alliance to form something new.
4. To suddenly accelerate ahead in a race.
5. (noun/adjective): a sudden escape or separation.
6. Relating to a splinter group or independent movement.
2. To separate from a group and move independently.
3. To leave an organization or alliance to form something new.
4. To suddenly accelerate ahead in a race.
5. (noun/adjective): a sudden escape or separation.
6. Relating to a splinter group or independent movement.
Context Alive
Frustrated with the party’s refusal to address environmental issues, the group of young politicians decided to break away from the main organization and form their own movement, knowing they would face criticism but believing the cause was more important than political loyalty.
Meanings
11 meanings 1 To Escape from Someone's Physical Grip — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This is the most literal meaning—physically pulling yourself free from someone who’s holding you. A child breaks away from a parent’s hand. A suspect breaks away from police. Someone breaks away from a hug that lasted too long. It involves sudden force or struggle, the moment when you wrench yourself loose from someone’s grasp.
Vivid ExampleThe toddler managed to break away from her mother’s grip in the crowded shopping mall, disappearing into a sea of legs and shopping bags before anyone could react, causing five terrifying minutes of panic before she was found examining toys in a store window.
2 To Separate from a Group and Go Independently — VERY COMMON Common ▼
When you break away from a group, you leave them behind and go your own direction. Tourists break away from guided tours. Hikers break away from their companions. It suggests deliberate separation—choosing to stop following the crowd and do your own thing, even temporarily.
Vivid ExampleBored with the official museum tour, she decided to break away from the group and explore the lesser-known galleries on her own, discovering a small room of stunning impressionist paintings that the guide had completely skipped over.
3 To Leave an Organization and Form Something New — VERY COMMON Common ▼
Political parties, religious groups, companies, and organizations experience splits when members break away to create something separate. It’s more dramatic than simply leaving—it implies forming a rival or alternative entity. Countries break away to become independent. Factions break away to start new movements. It often involves conflict and disagreement about direction or values.
Vivid ExampleSeveral top designers chose to break away from the established fashion house and launch their own label, taking their loyal clients and creative vision with them to build something that reflected their values rather than corporate profit margins.
4 To Suddenly Accelerate Ahead in a Race — COMMON Common ▼
In cycling, running, and other racing sports, athletes break away when they surge ahead of the main group—creating distance between themselves and competitors. A breakaway attempt is a strategic move to escape the pack. Some breakaways succeed spectacularly; others get caught before the finish line.
Vivid ExampleThe French cyclist chose to break away from the peloton on the steep mountain climb, pedaling furiously to build a lead while the main group hesitated, unsure whether to chase or conserve energy for later stages.
5 To Become Independent from Family or Tradition — COMMON Common ▼
Young adults break away from their families to establish independence. Individuals break away from traditions that no longer serve them. It’s about psychological and emotional separation—becoming your own person rather than remaining defined by where you came from or what’s expected of you.
Vivid ExampleMoving to a city where nobody knew her family name allowed her to finally break away from the suffocating expectations of her small hometown, where everyone had already decided what her life should look like before she had any say in the matter.
6 A Splinter Group or Faction — 'Breakaway' (Noun/Adjective) — COMMON Common ▼
As a noun or adjective, “breakaway” describes groups that have separated from larger organizations. A breakaway republic. A breakaway church. A breakaway faction of a political party. These breakaway groups often claim to represent the “true” version of whatever they left, accusing the original of having lost its way.
Vivid ExampleThe breakaway region declared independence after years of tension with the central government, though only a handful of countries recognized it as a legitimate nation while the rest of the world considered it an illegal separation.
7 To Escape from a Situation or Mindset — COMMON Common ▼
You can break away from patterns of thinking, unhealthy situations, or circumstances that have been holding you back. It’s similar to “break free,” but often emphasizes the act of separation itself rather than the resulting freedom. You break away from negative self-talk, from toxic environments, from the past.
Vivid ExampleThe therapy sessions helped him break away from the destructive patterns he had inherited from his parents, recognizing for the first time that he didn’t have to repeat their mistakes just because their voices still echoed in his head.
8 To Detach or Come Loose Physically — COMMON Common ▼
Objects break away when they become detached from something larger. Ice breaks away from glaciers. Parts break away from machines. Pieces break away from crumbling structures. It describes physical separation, often sudden and sometimes dangerous.
Vivid ExampleA massive chunk of ice broke away from the glacier and crashed into the ocean below, creating waves that rocked the tourist boat and left everyone gasping at the raw power of nature they had just witnessed.
9 'Breakaway Hit/Success' — Unexpected Independent Achievement — LESS COMMON Common ▼
A “breakaway hit” or “breakaway success” is something that unexpectedly separates itself from the pack and achieves remarkable success on its own terms. A breakaway album from an unknown artist. A breakaway product that dominates its market. It suggests surprising, independent triumph.
Vivid ExampleThe small indie film became a breakaway hit at the festival, attracting attention from major distributors who couldn’t believe something made on such a tiny budget could generate so much buzz and emotional response from audiences.
10 In Hockey — A Solo Rush Toward the Goal — SPECIALIZED Common ▼
In ice hockey, a “breakaway” is when a player gets past all defenders and races alone toward the goalkeeper—a one-on-one opportunity to score. It’s exciting, high-pressure, and often game-changing. Fans hold their breath during breakaways because they can shift momentum dramatically.
Vivid ExampleThe forward stole the puck at center ice and found herself on a breakaway with nothing between her and the goalkeeper, her teammates screaming encouragement as she deked left, then right, then slid the puck into the net for the winning goal.
11 'Break Away from the Pack' — Distinguish Yourself from Competitors — COMMON Common ▼
This expression is used figuratively in business, careers, and life—meaning to separate yourself from others who are all doing similar things. To succeed, you need to break away from the pack and offer something different, something memorable, something that makes you stand out.
Vivid ExampleThe marketing consultant advised the startup that in such a crowded market, they needed to break away from the pack with a completely unique brand voice, something that would make customers remember them when dozens of competitors were offering essentially the same product.
Examples from the Street
“She broke away from the group and started her own company.”
She separated from the team and launched her own business
“The cyclist broke away from the pack and took the lead.”
The rider separated from the main group and moved ahead
“It’s hard to break away from old habits.”
It’s difficult to separate yourself from established patterns of behaviour
Common Patterns
break away from a group/organisation → separate from and leave
break away from the pack/crowd → separate from the main group; move ahead
break away from tradition → reject or abandon established customs
break away from someone’s grip/hold → physically escape someone holding you
break away from the past → separate yourself from previous influences
break away → separate; escape; move independently
manage to break away → succeed in separating
try to break away → attempt to separate or escape
finally break away → eventually separate after difficulty
a breakaway group/faction → a group that has separated from a larger one
a breakaway republic/state → a region that has declared independence
a breakaway success/hit → a sudden, unexpected success
make a breakaway → attempt to escape or separate (sports)
Collocations
3 collocationsbreak away from
separate from a group or routine
break away from tradition
do something differently from the past
breakaway group
a faction that splits from a larger organisation
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Several members broke away from the party to form their own political movement
A number of participants separated from the organisation to create their own group.
2
The runner broke away from the pack in the final lap and won easily
The athlete separated from the main group in the last circuit and achieved victory comfortably.
3
The region broke away and declared independence in 1991
The territory separated and announced it was a sovereign nation in that year.
4
She broke away from his grip and ran towards the door
She escaped from his hold and rushed towards the exit.
5
The designer broke away from traditional styles and created something completely new
The creator rejected established approaches and produced something entirely original.
6
It’s not easy to break away from your family’s expectations
It’s difficult to separate yourself from what your relatives anticipate of you.
7
A breakaway group of scientists challenged the mainstream theory
A faction of researchers that had separated from the majority questioned the accepted explanation.
8
The film was a breakaway success — nobody expected it to do so well
The movie was a sudden hit — no one anticipated it would perform that impressively.
9
I need to break away and take a holiday — work is overwhelming me
I need to escape and have some time off — my job is becoming too much.
10
The horse broke away and galloped across the field
The animal escaped and ran quickly over the grass.
Learner Examples
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To improve your fluency, you need to break away from translating everything in your head and start thinking directly in English
To get better at speaking smoothly, you must stop converting everything mentally and begin processing directly in the language.
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Some students break away from traditional classroom learning and find immersion far more effective
Certain learners separate from conventional taught lessons and discover that being surrounded by the language works much better.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
2 items
Phrasal Verbsbreak away from — separate or escape from
He finally broke away from the toxic friendship that held him back.
Idioms & Expressionsbreak free — escape from constraints
She broke free from her fears and signed up for the competition.
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsescape
getting free from something
separate
splitting off from a group
break free
freeing yourself
split off
going in a different direction
Antonymsstay
remaining where you are
stick with
continuing with the group
conform
following the crowd