1. (verb)break, break out, break away move away or escape suddenly "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security"
2. (verb)chip, chip off, come off, break away, break off break off (a piece from a whole) "Her tooth chipped"
3. (verb)break, break away interrupt a continued activity "She had broken with the traditional patterns"
4. (verb)secede, splinter, break away withdraw from an organization or communion "After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away"
5. (verb)scat, run, scarper, turn tail, lam, run away, hightail it, bunk, head for the hills, take to the woods, escape, fly the coop, break away flee; take to one's heels; cut and run "If you see this man, run!"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up"