break off

phrasal verbphr v

a) PAUSEto suddenly stop talking 突然停止说话，停顿

She started to speak, then broke off while a waitress served us coffee.

她开始说了起来，后来服务员给我们上咖啡，她就打住了。

He broke off in mid-sentence to shake hands with the new arrivals.

他话说了一半，停下来和新到的人握手。

break something ↔ off

I broke off the conversation and answered the phone.

我中断谈话去接电话。

b) RELATIONSHIP break something ↔ off to end a relationship 结束，断绝〔关系〕

She broke off their engagement only a few weeks before they were due to be married.

就在他们将要结婚的前几个星期，她取消了婚约。

The US has broken off diplomatic relations with the regime.

美国已经和这个政权断绝了外交关系。

c) BREAKif something breaks off, or if you break it off, it comes loose and is no longer attached to something else （使）脱落，（使）脱开

One of the car’s wing mirrors had broken off.

车上的一块后视镜已经脱落。

break something ↔ off

He broke off a piece of bread.

他掰下一块面包。

Examples from the Corpus

break off• A military cargo plane made an emergency landing when one of the propellers broke off.• I gave it a tug and the zipper broke off.• She broke off a bit of bread and dipped it in the soup.• The Senator has been urged to break off all links with arms companies.• Kathleen was just telling me about her new car when she suddenly broke off and ran to the window.• "It's not that I wanted to..." he broke off and sighed.• In the wake of the bombing, the UK is threatening to break off diplomatic relations.• Icebergs break off from the ice sheets and float southwards.• I was sorry to break off his conversation with Margaret, but I had to leave.• Break a leaf off the bush, rub it between your fingers, and smell the lemony scent.• His girlfriend has just told him that she wants to break off their engagement.• Part of it broke off when I touched it.• When the dough is chilled, break pieces of the dough off with your fingers, and roll into small balls.

broken off ... relations• I seemed to have a separate brain for each limb, but they'd all broken off diplomatic relations.

→ break off at break1(PHRASAL VERB)

break offChinese