break off

suddenly end something (a relationship, talks, contact)

B2

What does "break (sth) off" mean?

To break off something means to bring it to a sudden, deliberate end — often with a sense that one side has made the decision unilaterally, without the other's agreement. It typically applies to things that were already established or in progress, such as a relationship, a set of negotiations, or diplomatic contact between countries. The abruptness is important: breaking off something implies a decisive, often unexpected move rather than a gradual winding down. In personal contexts, you might break off an engagement or break off contact with someone; in more formal or political contexts, governments break off diplomatic relations or talks. Both everyday conversation and news reporting use this phrasal verb, though the objects tend to shift — informal situations call for words like 'relationship' or 'contact', while formal contexts favour 'negotiations', 'talks', or 'relations'.

Examples

How to use it

break off + noun (negotiations / engagement / contact / talks)

The most common pattern — use it when the object is a noun referring to a relationship, agreement, or form of communication that is being ended abruptly.

The company broke off negotiations with the union after failing to agree on pay.

break + pronoun + off

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'break' and 'off' — it cannot come after 'off'.

She had been engaged for a year before she finally broke it off.

noun (talks / relations / discussions) + break off

Used without a stated agent when you want to describe the ending without specifying who caused it — common in news reporting.

Trade talks broke off abruptly after the two sides reached a deadlock.

noun + be broken off

The passive is natural and frequent, especially in journalistic writing about diplomacy or formal negotiations.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were broken off following the crisis.

break off + noun (contact / communication / ties) + with + person/group

Use this pattern when specifying who the relationship or contact was with.

After the argument, she broke off all contact with her former business partner.

Common Collocations

break off an engagementbreak off negotiationsbreak off contactbreak off diplomatic relationsbreak off a relationshipbreak off talks

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placed after the particle

When the object is a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'break' and 'off', not after 'off'. Placing it after the particle is ungrammatical in English.

✗ She decided to break off it before things got too serious.
✓ She decided to break it off before things got too serious.
Confusing 'break off' with 'call off'

'Call off' means to cancel something that was planned but hasn't yet happened; 'break off' means to abruptly end something that is already underway or established. If the negotiations have already started, use 'break off', not 'call off'.

✗ They called off the talks after three rounds of discussion failed.
✓ They broke off the talks after three rounds of discussion failed.
Using the present continuous for ongoing situations

'Break off' sounds unnatural in the present continuous when describing a general or developing situation. Use the simple present or present perfect instead.

✗ The government is breaking off diplomatic relations with the country.
✓ The government has broken off diplomatic relations with the country.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both everyday conversation (relationships, engagements) and formal or journalistic writing (diplomatic talks, negotiations). It always suggests the ending is sudden or decisive, often made by one side alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'break off' always suggest that only one side made the decision?

Often, yes — 'break off' carries a connotation of decisive, sometimes unilateral action, meaning one party ends something without the other's full agreement. However, it can also describe a mutual collapse, especially in formal contexts like 'talks broke off without agreement', where neither side is singled out.

Can 'break off' be used without mentioning what is being ended?

Yes, especially in spoken English when the context is clear. For example, if you're already talking about an engagement or a negotiation, you can simply say 'she broke off' or 'they broke off' without repeating the object. This intransitive use is natural and common.

Does 'break off' have another meaning I should know about?

Yes — the same form can describe something physically detaching, like 'a piece of the cliff broke off'. However, that sense works very differently: it takes a concrete, physical object and is usually intransitive. The sense here always involves something abstract — a relationship, negotiation, or communication — so the context makes it easy to tell them apart.

Is 'break off an engagement' the same as 'break off a relationship'?

'Break off an engagement' is a fixed, widely recognised collocation specifically meaning to end a formal promise to get married. 'Break off a relationship' is broader and can refer to any close personal or professional connection. Both are natural uses of 'break off', but 'break off the engagement' is particularly set and common.

What kinds of things can you 'break off'?

In this sense, 'break off' collocates with abstract, relational, or institutional things: negotiations, talks, discussions, diplomatic relations, an engagement, a relationship, contact, communication, ties, a partnership, or a deal. It does not work with concrete physical objects in this meaning — if something snaps off physically, that is a different sense.

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