Break
Break noun - A momentary halt in an activity.
Usage example: there was a brief break after the first movement as the doors to the concert hall were opened and the latecomers were allowed in
Recess is a synonym for break (American) in event topic. In some cases you can use "Recess" instead the word "Break" as a noun or a verb, when it comes to topics like rest, interval, continue, respite. popular alternative
Recess
Recess noun - A period during which the usual routine of school or work is suspended.
Usage example: the couple goes to Florida every January for a month-long recess from the rigors of winter
Break is a synonym for recess in adjourn topic. You can use "Break" instead the word "Recess" as a noun or a verb, if it concerns topics such as continue, niche, respite, interlude. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
-
Recess has a few: Mayor Fitzhugh, who attempts to separate the six protagonists to different schools after they accidentally break a statue of the town's founder.
-
When forced to spend recess outdoors in one episode, he and his friends devise a scheme for distracting the teachers and getting back into the library that plays out as a pint-sized prison break.
Source: Series / The Middle - Holidays: "On my holidays" means on a vacation trip, as above, while "the holidays" refers to a break (recess) between school terms: "the summer holidays start next week".
Source: Useful Notes / British English
Cite this Source
Recess and Break. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/recess
Break & Recess. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/recess>.
Recess or Break. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/recess.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "break" and "recess" have occurred on timeline