Break and Separate

Break

Break verb - Destroy the integrity of; usually by force; cause to separate into pieces or fragments.
Usage example: He broke the glass plate

Separate is a synonym for break in shatter topic. In some cases you can use "Separate" instead the word "Break" as a verb or a noun, when it comes to topics like assemble, tear, destroy. popular alternative

Separate

Separate verb - To set or force apart.
Usage example: we tried to separate the gluey pages, but they were stuck tight

Break is a synonym for separate in assemble topic. You can use "Break" instead a verb "Separate", if it concerns topics such as keep or set apart. popular alternative

Common collocations

spirit break spirit separate spirit
word break word separate word
sword break sword separate sword
fingers break fingers separate fingers

Both words in one sentence

  • In a break from its predecessors, XCOM: Enemy Unknown does not track magazines as separate items, instead allowing soldiers to reload their weapons at will.
  • The Man Behind the Man aka: Man Behind The Man Phantasy Star IV seemed to break this cycle, revealing Dark Force early on, only for the party to destroy it three separate times.
  • The character page even managed to break the folder system twice and had to be reorganised into half a dozen separate pages.
Cite this Source
Separate and Break. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/separate
Break & Separate. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/separate>.
Separate or Break. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/break/separate.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "break" and "separate" have occurred on timeline