구동사 시리즈 #7 – BREAK

📘 Phrasal Verb Series #7 – BREAK

🌿 Thinking in English: The Language of Change and Release

“To break” is not only to destroy —
it is to open, to release, and to begin again.

When we break, something ends —
but that ending often becomes the space for something new to grow. 🌱

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💫 1️⃣ break down

To break down means to stop working — or to collapse emotionally.

Examples

• My car broke down on the way home. 🚗
• She broke down after hearing the bad news. 💔

👉 Feel it: “break down” means falling apart — physically or emotionally —
but sometimes, that’s how healing begins.

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🌱 2️⃣ break up

To break up means to end a relationship or to separate into parts.

Examples

• They broke up after five years together. 💔
• The ice broke up as spring arrived. ❄️→🌸

👉 Feel it: “break up” carries sadness but also renewal —
it’s the end of form, not the end of life.

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🌿 3️⃣ break out

To break out means to escape — or to suddenly appear.

Examples

• A fire broke out in the kitchen. 🔥
• She broke out of her comfort zone and started traveling alone. ✈️

👉 Feel it: “break out” = bursting beyond boundaries.

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🌸 4️⃣ break in

To break in means to enter by force — or to soften something new.

Examples

• Someone broke in last night. 🚨
• These shoes are tight — I need to break them in. 👟

👉 Feel it: “break in” = intrusion or adaptation —
entering and adjusting at the same time.

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💫 5️⃣ break into

To break into means to enter suddenly, or to start doing something energetically.

Examples

• He broke into a smile. 😊
• The thieves broke into the house.
• She broke into the music industry. 🎤

👉 Feel it: “break into” = a burst of entry — energy finding an opening.

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🌾 6️⃣ break off

To break off means to end suddenly — a relationship, a deal, or a process.

Examples

• They broke off their engagement. 💍
• Talks were broken off after disagreement.

👉 Feel it: “break off” = cutting the thread cleanly.

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🌊 7️⃣ break through

To break through means to overcome a barrier or reach success after effort.

Examples

• The sun broke through the clouds. ☀️
• She finally broke through her fear of public speaking. 🎤

👉 Feel it: “break through” = from limitation → liberation.

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🌻 8️⃣ break away

To break away means to separate from control or join a new path.

Examples

• The group broke away from the main party.
• He broke away from tradition to start his own way. 🌿

👉 Feel it: “break away” = freedom with direction.

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🌼 9️⃣ break out of

To break out of means to escape from confinement — physical or mental.

Examples

• The prisoners broke out of jail.
• She broke out of her old habits and found confidence.

👉 Feel it: “break out of” = liberation — the moment of self-birth.

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🌷 10️⃣ break down into

To break down into means to divide into smaller parts for understanding.

Examples

• Let’s break down this problem into steps. 📘
• Water breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen. 💧

👉 Feel it: “break down into” = clarity through disassembly.

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🌿 The Spirit of BREAK

   의미의 흐름                       구동사 예시                                                                   감각적 키워드

 

Collapse	break down / break up	해체, 감정의 붕괴
Escape	break out / break away / break out of	탈출, 자유
Endings	break off / break up	단절, 전환
New Openings	break through / break into	돌파, 시작
Clarity	break down into	분석, 이해

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🌸 Closing Thought

“To break is to change shape —
to open what was closed,
to rebuild what was broken.” 🌿

Every “break” is a doorway — not destruction,
but the beginning of something freer and truer.

 

 

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