How to Use break off in a Sentence

break off

verb
  • Most pups are going to lose sight of deer and break off.
    Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 20 Nov. 2020
  • Run your hand over a branch to see if needles are dry and break off easily.
    oregonlive, 28 Nov. 2020
  • Quite a few pieces of bamboo had broken off, leaning drunkenly over the side of the fence.
    Kristen Arnett, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Freeze chopped seasonings flat, Boudy advises her groups, and just break off a piece to use.
    Judy Walker, NOLA.com, 12 Jan. 2021
  • Orionid meteors are small chunks of rock that break off Halley's Comet.
    Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2020
  • Linebackers and safeties, in many instances, have to respect Henry’s potential to break off long runs.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2020
  • The little parts and bits and bobs that break off take on different textures, soaking up a bit more oil and becoming extra crispy when fried.
    Omar Mamoon, SFChronicle.com, 6 Nov. 2020
  • Werner got a great break off the snap on this Penn State extra point and was visibly angry after the ball went through the uprights.
    Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, 1 Nov. 2020
  • Trimming this plant increases your chance of being injured — stems break off easily and exude a toxic, milky sap that can get into your eyes or on your skin.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2020
  • Keep in mind in the last decade, 12 blocks of ice the size of the state of Rhode Island have broken off the South Pole.
    NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024
  • Talks were held on Monday and Tuesday this week, breaking off after 1 a.m. Tuesday night without a deal.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024
  • Several counties in downstate Illinois voted in the recent election to break off from the state of Illinois to create a new one.
    Elyse Kelly, Washington Examiner, 23 Nov. 2020
  • Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and break off pieces, forming them into balls just smaller than a golf ball.
    Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2020
  • The film was broken off from the rest of the film shot for that day.
    Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Sep. 2023
  • Four teal break off a big mob and fly up the guts of the spread.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2024
  • This leads us to episode 4, where the season breaks off and the show breaks down.
    Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023
  • Icebergs are large chunks of ice that break off of glaciers and float in the ocean.
    Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 20 June 2023
  • Shards of steel wool can break off and become lodged in the grain lines.
    Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022
  • Alas, the Good Grips brush is still a pro at breaking off dirt and grime.
    John Thompson, Men's Health, 7 July 2023
  • Don’t pick up the entire piece of bread; break off a small piece and eat it.
    Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2023
  • Its rack should have been a 5x4, but two tines had broken off down to 4x3.
    Bryan Hendricks, arkansasonline.com, 3 Dec. 2023
  • Neeva doesn’t have to break off a lot of the search market share to do well.
    David Doty, Forbes, 28 June 2021
  • Do not twist or jerk the bug, to avoid causing the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
    Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 30 June 2021
  • That the solution is autarky and to just break off ties.
    Bytristan Bove, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2022
  • That caused the branches attached to the dead cell to break off and start clusters of their own.
    Quanta Magazine, 22 Sep. 2021
  • The top of the tree went through the windshield, with the impact causing a section of it to break off inside the van.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2023
  • The grass will often just break off at ground level when the soil is very dry.
    Tim Johnson, chicagotribune.com, 7 Aug. 2021
  • If they are dried out and break off easily, put the plant back.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2021
  • Be careful not to twist the tick or dig around, which could cause parts of it to break off and get stuck in your skin.
    Washington Post, 24 May 2021
  • Many of those had limbs, fingers, and even heads broken off due to 2,000-plus years of wear and tear.
    Grace Cote, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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