break out

To start suddenly, or suddenly show signs of a feeling, illness, or physical reaction.

• A fire broke out upstairs.
• He broke out in a cold sweat.
• Fighting has broken out near the border.

How to use it: break out in something (She broke out in a rash after eating the berries.); break out into something (The audience broke out into cheers.)

Similar words: erupt, start, flare up

Common phrases: break out suddenly, break out overnight

To escape from a place where you are being kept, often by using force.

• The prisoners tried to break out.
• She broke out of the locked room through a window.
• How did they break out without the guards noticing?

How to use it: break out of somewhere (Three prisoners broke out of jail.)

Similar words: escape, get out

Common phrases: break out together, break out tonight

To help someone escape from a place where they are being kept.

• They wanted to break him out.
• Her friends broke her out of the locked building.
• Who helped break the prisoner out of jail?

How to use it: break someone out (His friends planned to break him out.); break someone out of somewhere (They broke their leader out of prison.)

Similar words: free, rescue

Common phrases: break out someone, break out prisoners

To get something that has been stored away so you can use or show it.

• Let us break out the snacks.
• They broke out the champagne after the announcement.
• We will break out the camping equipment this weekend.

How to use it: break out something (Let us break out the board games.); break something out (It is cold enough to break the winter coats out.)

Similar words: bring out, get out

Opposites: put away

Common phrases: break out champagne, break out supplies, break out something

To remove a piece of something by breaking it away.

• They broke out the damaged glass.
• The builders broke out part of the concrete floor.
• We must break out these bricks to make an opening.

How to use it: break something out of something (They broke a section out of the concrete wall.)

Similar words: break away, remove

Common phrases: break out glass, break out concrete, break out something

To separate one part from a group of things held together.

• Break out these two cables.
• The technician broke out each wire from the bundle.
• We need to break out the cables before attaching the connectors.

How to use it: break something out from something (Break the wires out from the main bundle.)

Similar words: separate, detach

Common phrases: break out cables, break out wires