make a clean break
idiom
: to end a relationship quickly
If you don't want to keep dating him, you should just make a clean break instead of dragging it out.
Examples of make a clean break in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As long as the balance of power favors the Islamists, the new Syria is unlikely to make a clean break with its authoritarian past.
—
Fawaz A. Gerges, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
Green Bay can make a clean break from Alexander this offseason, though.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Rob, alone, manages to make a clean break from the posh world of London that he’s long yearned to fit into.
—Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The party won’t likely make a clean break, however -- more of an incremental pulling away.
—Michael Tomasky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
See all Example Sentences for make a clean break 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Fawaz A. Gerges, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025
Green Bay can make a clean break from Alexander this offseason, though.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Rob, alone, manages to make a clean break from the posh world of London that he’s long yearned to fit into.
—Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
The party won’t likely make a clean break, however -- more of an incremental pulling away.
—Michael Tomasky, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014
See all Example Sentences for make a clean break
Dictionary Entries Near make a clean break
Cite this Entry
“Make a clean break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20clean%20break. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share