break 是超高频词，核心含义围绕「打破/中断」。动词：① 打破，破碎（break a window = 打碎窗户；break a record = 打破纪录）；② 违反（break a rule/law/promise = 违反规则/法律/承诺）；③ 中断（break the silence = 打破沉默；break a habit = 改掉习惯）。名词：① 休息，暂停（take a break = 休息一下；coffee break = 咖啡休息）；② 突破机会（a lucky break = 幸运的机会）；③ 骨折（a break in the arm = 手臂骨折）。关键短语：break down（停止运转；情绪崩溃；（谈判）破裂）；break out（（战争/火灾）爆发）；break through（突破）；break up（结束关系；（人群）散开）；breakthrough（名词，重大突破）。
释义
1
v.打破，破碎（物体）
The protesters broke the windows of several shops along the high street before police arrived to disperse the crowd.
抗议者在警察赶到驱散人群之前，砸破了街上几家商店的玻璃。
2
v.违反，打破（规则/承诺）
The company was found to have broken data protection laws by sharing customer information without consent.
该公司被发现通过在未经同意的情况下分享客户信息，违反了数据保护法。
3
n.休息，暂停
After three hours of continuous negotiations, both sides agreed to take a short break before resuming talks.
经过三小时连续谈判，双方同意短暂休息后再继续会谈。
语感
break down（停止运转/崩溃）；break out（爆发）；break through（突破）；break a record/law/promise（打破纪录/法律/承诺）
打破，破碎（动词）违反（规则/承诺）休息，暂停（名词）骨折，突破（名词）
关键短语动词（重要）：break down（① 机器停止运作：the car broke down = 车抛锚了；② 谈判/计划失败/破裂：talks broke down；③ 情绪崩溃：broke down in tears = 痛哭失声；④ 分解：break down a problem = 将问题分解）；break out（爆发：war/fire broke out = 战争/火灾爆发；break out of prison = 越狱）；break through（突破：break through barriers = 突破障碍；a breakthrough in science）；break up（① 分手：they broke up = 他们分手了；② 解散：the crowd broke up；③ 学校放假：school breaks up for summer）；break even（收支平衡：the business finally broke even）；breakthrough（名词：a medical breakthrough = 医学突破）。
陷阱
⚠️break down 多义——机器故障/谈判破裂/情绪崩溃
After years of pressure from creditors, the negotiations finally broke down and the company was forced to file for bankruptcy.
✗
broke down = machine stopped working（谈判崩了 = 机器坏了）
✓
break down（谈判破裂）= 谈判失败，无法达成协议；与 break down（机器故障）和 break down（情绪崩溃）含义不同，需根据主语判断：negotiations/talks broke down = 谈判破裂；the car broke down = 车坏了；she broke down (crying) = 她情绪崩溃（哭了）；此句正确
经过多年债权人的压力，谈判最终破裂，公司被迫申请破产。（break down = 谈判破裂，非机器故障）
⚠️break a record（打破纪录）vs. set a record（创造纪录）
✗
The runner set the previous world record for the marathon by more than two minutes at the Berlin competition.
「打破」原有纪录用 break a record（break the world record = 打破世界纪录）；set a record = 「创造」新纪录（set a new record = 创造新纪录）；此句是「打破了之前的世界纪录」，用 broke，× set（set = 创造，而非打破）
✓
The runner broke the previous world record for the marathon by more than two minutes at the Berlin competition.
这名跑者在柏林比赛中将马拉松的世界纪录打破了超过两分钟。
近义辨析
breakvsviolate
breakbreak（违反：break a law/rule/agreement = 违反法律/规则/协议，口语书面均可）violateviolate（违反，书面正式：violate international law = 违反国际法；violate human rights = 侵犯人权；比 break 更强调严重性和正式语境）
The company was fined for breaking environmental regulations by discharging toxic waste into the river.
该公司因违反环境法规向河流排放有毒废物而被罚款。
Any military action against civilians would violate international humanitarian law and could constitute a war crime.
任何针对平民的军事行动都将违反国际人道主义法，并可能构成战争罪。
写作加分
✨ 加分词
替换：achieve a new beststep forwardbig improvement
科技与创新话题医疗健康话题环境话题
普通
Scientists made a big improvement in cancer treatment last year.
科学家去年在癌症治疗方面取得了重大进步。
加分 ✨
The development of mRNA vaccine technology represents a genuine scientific breakthrough, with implications that extend far beyond the original application in fighting COVID-19.
mRNA疫苗技术的发展代表着真正的科学突破，其影响远超最初应对新冠肺炎的应用。
为什么更好：breakthrough 比 big improvement 更书面有力；represents a genuine breakthrough 比 made improvement 更正式；with implications that extend far beyond 展示深远影响
常用搭配
break a record / law / promise打破纪录 / 违反法律 / 违背承诺
break down停止运转；谈判破裂；情绪崩溃
break out（战争/火灾）爆发；越狱
break through突破（障碍）
break up分手；解散；（学校）放假
take a break休息一下
breakthrough重大突破（名词，复合词）
词根
break = 「破」→ 打破一切（纪录/规则/沉默）；break down = 「破碎」（机器/谈判/情绪）；break out = 「破出」= 爆发/越出；breakthrough = 「破出去」= 突破
考考你
Q1义项辨析
下面四个句子中，break down 的含义与其他三个最不同的是：
A
The heating system broke down during the coldest week of the year, leaving residents without warmth.
供暖系统在一年中最寒冷的一周崩溃，居民无法取暖。
B
Peace talks broke down after one side rejected the proposed compromise agreement.
一方拒绝了拟议的妥协协议后，和谈破裂了。
C
She broke down in tears when she heard the news about her friend's accident.
当她听到朋友出事的消息时，她痛哭失声。
D
The teacher asked students to break down the complex problem into smaller, more manageable steps.
老师要求学生将复杂问题分解为更小、更易管理的步骤。
D 中 break down = 分解（将问题拆分成小部分）；A 中 break down = 机器停止运作；B 中 break down = 谈判破裂；C 中 break down = 情绪崩溃
Q2对错判断
判断下面句子里的用法是否正确：
Protests broke out in several cities following the announcement of the controversial new legislation.
争议性新立法宣布后，多个城市爆发了抗议活动。
broke out（爆发）用于暴力事件/火灾/战争/抗议等突然爆发的事件；protests broke out = 抗议活动爆发，用法正确；following the announcement = 在宣布之后，逻辑正确
Q3近义选词
选择最恰当的词填空：
The tribunal found that the company had ___ its contractual obligations by failing to deliver the agreed products on time.
Abroken
Bviolated
✓ 法庭认定，该公司未能按时交付约定产品，违反了合同义务。
violated contractual obligations（违反合同义务）是法律/正式文本的标准表达；broken its obligations 也可，但 violated 在法律/合同语境中更正式精确；tribunal（法庭）语境强烈提示正式用词 violated
接着学
点击进入该词的深度解析
fracture近义骨折；断裂（a fracture in the bone = 骨折；社会断裂：a fracture in society；比 break 更医学/正式）
shatter近义粉碎（shatter dreams = 粉碎梦想；shatter a window = 打碎窗户；比 break 更强调碎裂成碎片）